President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that John Deere will invest $70 million in North Carolina for an excavator factory.
Trump revealed the “historic investment” while touting the economy and affordability during his remarks in Clive, Iowa.
“And I think it’s going to pay off very, very big. And if it doesn’t, I have nothing to do with it,” Trump joked, drawing laughs from those in attendance. “But if it does, I’m going to take…full credit.”
“I love those excavators, believe it or not, I know a lot about them. We don’t make them here. This is going to be the only excavator entirely made in the United States of America. I love it,” he added.
John Deere stated in a press release shortly after the president’s announcement that the plant will be in Kernersville, North Carolina, and is on track to open in 2026.
“The Kernersville Campus moved Manufacturing / Production from Oversees (Japan) to America,” the company noted.
The campus will make the lone excavator “designed, developed, and manufactured in the U.S.”
The factory will support more than 150 jobs.
“We are excited to bring this new facility to our Kernersville campus and to be part of the region’s thriving manufacturing community,“ Deere & Company Worldwide Construction & Forestry and Power Systems President Ryan Campbell said in a statement. “Our focus will be on delivering excellence, creating jobs, and advancing the legacy of John Deere in American manufacturing.”
Additionally, John Deere has started construction of a distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, that will employ about 150 people and is also expected to open this year.
“Our investment in these new facilities underscores John Deere’s dedication to strengthening the backbone of American industry and supporting local economies,” John Deere Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John May said in a statement. “We believe in building America, and these projects represent our intent to continue driving innovation and job creation in the United States.”
