From a Vermont Blacksmith to a Smart Industrial Giant — 188 Years of John Deere

John Deere is one of the oldest continuously-operating industrial companies in the United States, founded in 1837 by a Vermont blacksmith who invented the self-scouring steel plow. Understanding this 188-year arc — from a one-man shop to a $45B agricultural-technology powerhouse with the largest fleet of autonomous farm machines in the world — gives candidates the substance they need to answer "Why John Deere?" with genuine conviction rather than generic flattery.