It was recently announced that the John Deere factory that’s located in Thibodaux, Louisiana will be responding to rising demand through a $29.8 million expansion, according to this article from Houma Today. This expansion of the factory will create 70 new jobs and retain the 300+ employees who are currently working locally and across the state of Louisiana.

According to Louisiana Economic Development, the expansion of the John Deere Factory is intended to shift cotton harvester production from China to Lafourche Parish. This is intended to make cotton harvesting and production more affordable for the U.S. market.

In a sign that Deere & Company is committed to the state of Louisiana, the expansion of the Thibodaux plant will be creating 70 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $47,472. They will also be retaining 311 existing jobs in the parish with 284 of those jobs coming from the Lafourche Parish facility. According to economic projections by Louisiana Economic Development, the project will result in 110 indirect jobs, for a total of 180 new jobs.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards spoke about the $29.8 million investment by saying in a press release, “this investment by Deere & Company demonstrates not only the strength of Louisiana’s manufacturing sector but the resilience and recovery of the Bayou Region. Manufacturing has long played a vital role in Louisiana’s economy and never more so than today, supporting more than 178,000 Louisiana workers and their families through ongoing investments in every region of the state. Thanks to Deere & Company for its commitment to Lafourche Parish, and congratulations to the skilled workers whose dedication convinced this global manufacturer to expand its footprint in our state.”

The state of Louisiana offered John Deere a competitive incentive package that includes up to $1 million in performance-based retention and modernization grants. Louisiana’s competitive incentive package also included the services of LED FastStart, a nationally acclaimed workforce development program that offers recruitment and customized training. John Deere is also expected to participate in both the Industrial Tax Exemption and Enterprise Zone programs.

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said of the expansion, “John Deere’s expansion is a huge win for Lafourche. The addition of new manufacturing lines to John Deere Thibodaux shows how productive and efficient this facility is, which is a testament to the local workforce and management. The Thibodaux facility’s successful competition for these new cotton harvesters shows just how competitive Lafourche Parish can be.”

This announcement comes during Louisiana’s observance of Manufacturing Week, a nationwide celebration of the manufacturing industry’s success and its opportunities for America’s future. This is the 11^th year that Manufacturing Week has been celebrated nationwide.

The expansion of the John Deere Factory is expected to involve the development and installation of a new production line and upgraded equipment, both of which will allow the Thibodaux facility to begin producing medium-chassis cotton harvesting models that can replace the existing models that are currently built in China.

Mike Duplantis is the factory manager at John Deere Thibodaux, and he spoke about the new cotton harvesters by saying, “the new cotton harvesters present a huge opportunity for John Deere Thibodaux to deliver innovative and technologically advanced solutions to our customers, which will increase their productivity and profitability. This expansion is possible due to the tremendous amount of hard work and resiliency of the Thibodaux team.”

The Thibodaux facility is currently seen in the industry as a design center for sugar harvesting and earth-moving scraper equipment. They also have a production facility for agricultural and construction products, which is soon expected to start manufacturing the new cotton harvesters within the next two years. John Deere Thibodaux is expected to reach full capacity by 2025.

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