In collaboration with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security, Illinois Manufacturers' Association, and UAW, John Deere has announced that it is now producing protective face shields. Production began on April 8th at the John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Illinois, a factory typically used to manufacture planting equipment and precision ag solutions.
To begin, Deere will produce 25,000 face shields, but materials and supplies have been ordered to create an additional 200,000 to meet the immediate needs of healthcare workers in local communities.
"Our manufacturing and supply management teams, along with our production and maintenance employees, the UAW, and our partners have worked tirelessly to ensure we could lend our support and protect our healthcare workers during this crisis," said John May, Chief Executive Officer, Deere & Company. "By working closely with the communities where our employees live and work, we can help support the needs we've identified close to home and, as the project expands, address additional, urgent needs across the country."
John Deere is utilizing an open-source design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the project and leveraging the expertise and skills of its employee base.
"This is a very proud day for the UAW and our UAW members," said Rory L. Gamble, UAW President.
In addition to creating face shields, Deere has also made PPE donations to healthcare facilities and launched a COVID-19 innovations site to share open-source specifications for related products.
More information on Deere's dedication and response to the COVID-19 crisis can be found online at its Coronavirus Update Center.