Deere gets to work producing face shields
John Deere, in collaboration with the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, is producing protective face shields at John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Illinois.
Deere employees will initially produce 25,000 face shields to meet the immediate needs of healthcare workers in several of its U.S. manufacturing communities.
Deere employee Jerry Miller shows show off part of the face shield manufacturing process.
Materials and supplies are on order to produce an additional 200,000 face shields, the Moline, Ill.-based tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer said. The company is using an open-source design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the project and leveraging expertise, skills, and innovation of its employee base.
The first face shields will be delivered to 16 U.S. Deere factories in 8 states as well as the company's U.S. Deere-Hitachi factory for local distribution to healthcare professionals.
"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 health-care workers during this crisis," said John May, CEO of 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."
Deere and its employees have also contributed to the local food banks and the American Red Cross during the crisis while donating personal protective equipment to health care facilities. The company already produced 18,000 face shields for use by factory employees.
Deere employees will initially produce 25,000 face shields to meet the immediate needs of healthcare workers in several of its U.S. manufacturing communities.
Deere employee Jerry Miller shows show off part of the face shield manufacturing process.Materials and supplies are on order to produce an additional 200,000 face shields, the Moline, Ill.-based tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer said. The company is using an open-source design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the project and leveraging expertise, skills, and innovation of its employee base.
The first face shields will be delivered to 16 U.S. Deere factories in 8 states as well as the company's U.S. Deere-Hitachi factory for local distribution to healthcare professionals.
"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 health-care workers during this crisis," said John May, CEO of 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."
Deere and its employees have also contributed to the local food banks and the American Red Cross during the crisis while donating personal protective equipment to health care facilities. The company already produced 18,000 face shields for use by factory employees.