Deere maps where Ottumwa and Clarion production goes

The John Deere Ottumwa plant closing is set to happen in stages. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, Deere announced a restructuring of its U.S. footprint that moves five product lines between plants from fiscal 2027 through fiscal 2029. Once that work has moved, Deere plans to close Ottumwa Works in Iowa and end manufacturing at the Hagie factory in Clarion, Iowa, according to the company statement as quoted by High Plains Journal and KCCI.

Read the dates carefully. Deere's fiscal year ends in late October or early November, as the Quad Cities Business Journal noted. "End of fiscal 2027" therefore means roughly fall 2027, not December. Deere said the changes align "production capacity with regional customer demand and advanced manufacturing capabilities," and QCBJ reported the moves are driven by "changes in customer demand and available manufacturing capacities."

The schedule by fiscal year

Deere's Construction & Forestry Division is also "evaluating strategic sourcing opportunities across its operations" to "manage costs" and "increase flexibility," per the release language quoted by HPJ. No product lines or dates were attached to that.

Hay and forage: Ottumwa to Ankeny in two steps

Ottumwa's work leaves in two pieces. Windrowers go to Des Moines Works by the end of fiscal 2027. Round balers follow by the end of fiscal 2028, and QCBJ identifies the destination as "the Ankeny plant." Deere intends to close Ottumwa Works once both transfers are done. Radio Iowa reports the plant, which has operated since 1911, "will be closed in the fall of 2028 when the transition is completed."

The supplier picture here is our reading of the timeline. No reporting we've seen names affected suppliers or quantifies volume effects. Because the hay and forage lines are moving within Iowa, a supplier whose parts follow the product shouldn't lose content just because of the move. What changes is the ship-to address, the freight lane, and possibly the delivery cadence a new receiving dock expects. The staggered schedule also creates a stretch, roughly fiscal 2028, where round baler parts still go to Ottumwa while windrower parts already go to Ankeny. A supplier that ships to both lines will run two destinations for the same customer for about a year.

Sprayers: Clarion to Louisiana, and a year of overlap at Thibodaux

"Beginning in fiscal year 2028, production of Hagie STS sprayers will move to Deere's factory in Thibodaux, Louisiana," the release says, as quoted by HPJ. Deere "intends to end manufacturing operations at the Hagie factory in Clarion, Iowa, by fiscal year 2029." The Clarion campus has deep roots: Ray Hagie invented the first self-propelled crop sprayer in 1947, according to Radio Iowa.

Thibodaux has room because its own product is leaving. In fiscal 2029, sugar cane harvester production moves to Catalão, Brazil, "where Deere already manufactures sugar cane harvesters." Thibodaux builds about 35 of those machines a year for the U.S. market (HPJ; QCBJ). Deere told DTN the Louisiana plant's headcount won't fall, because sprayer production is coming in. DTN cites state economic development information putting Thibodaux employment at 350 to 400.

On the published dates, Thibodaux will be ramping sprayers in fiscal 2028 while still building cane harvesters until they leave in fiscal 2029. For Iowa suppliers to Clarion, this is the move with the biggest freight change. Parts that traveled a short in-state route will need to reach southern Louisiana. That's where we'd expect the clearest pressure to re-quote landed cost, and where a supplier's freight terms (who pays and where title transfers) matter most. To be clear, that's analysis, not reported supplier impact.

Planters: Moline to Paton

"In fiscal year 2027, small planter production will move from John Deere Seeding in Moline, Illinois, to John Deere's facility in Paton, Iowa," per HPJ. A Deere spokesperson told CBS2 Iowa: "We anticipate no impact to the number of positions at Seeding."

The Paton plant is the former Bauer Built Manufacturing, which Deere bought. Farm Equipment reported the completed purchase in July 2009. At the time, Bauer Built made 44- to 120-foot DB Series planters and employed about 150 people. Unlike the Clarion move, this one brings work into Iowa, so Iowa suppliers on small planter part numbers may end up shipping shorter distances.

How many jobs: the figures depend on who's counting

Each estimate should be read with its source attached:

• Deere, to DTN: more than 300 workers at Ottumwa and more than 200 at Clarion. A Deere spokesperson said about 300 positions would be affected at normal production volumes, and that the plants are currently running well below normal because of the ag downturn (DTN; CBS2 Iowa).

• City of Ottumwa, via KTVO: "We look to losing approximately 400 jobs," with "the amount of payroll loss above $30,000,000." The city also cited about $100,000 a year in economic initiatives Deere has funded.

• Wright County Economic Development, via Radio Iowa: Clarion employs about 300 at full capacity.

Deere says transition support may include transfers, retraining, retention offers, relocation assistance, severance and career-transition help (DTN). The company employs more than 12,000 people in Iowa and about 6,500 in Illinois.

Volumes may matter more than move dates

The plants are running well below normal right now, so for many suppliers the ag cycle could move monthly releases more than the transfer schedule does. Other parts of Deere are adding labor. The week before the announcement, Deere said it expects to hire more than 400 people across its factories and recall more than 275 employees to Waterloo. About 125 remained on layoff in the Des Moines area, per DTN. Des Moines Works is the plant taking on Ottumwa's hay and forage lines.

What a tier-2 can do now

None of these steps reflects a reported Deere supplier communication. They follow from the public timeline:

• Map part numbers to product lines and fiscal-year dates. Tag every active Deere part by end product (windrower, round baler, STS sprayer, small planter, cane harvester), then attach the move date from the table above. That shows which revenue changes destination and when.

• Plan for two ship-to addresses during overlaps. Ottumwa and Ankeny will both be live through fiscal 2028, and Clarion and Thibodaux both have a role during the sprayer transition. Build that into EDI setup, labeling and safety stock.

• Re-run landed cost on the Louisiana lane. If you ship to Clarion today, check freight terms, packaging and transit time to Thibodaux before your next quote cycle, not after the first release arrives.

• Expect requalification questions. A new receiving plant may want updated PPAP documentation, first-article checks or packaging approvals even when the part is unchanged. Get your files current early.

• Watch Construction & Forestry. KWQC notes that the C&F division includes Dubuque Works. Deere hasn't named lines or timing for its sourcing review, so Dubuque-area suppliers should treat this as a watch item, not a forecast.

Labor and community backdrop

The UAW said it "will use every tool at our disposal, from our contract negotiations in 2027, to legislative and executive action," according to KWQC. The windrower and planter moves fall in that same fiscal year. The City of Ottumwa's statement says the John Deere Foundation "has affirmed their commitment of nearly $1,000,000 to support both Ottumwa and Clarion over the next three years," and points to a University of Iowa economic impact study. In Clarion, city administrator Clint Middleton told Radio Iowa: "Our focus is now working with John Deere because you know after announcements like this they have a plan together."

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Sources

• High Plains Journal: Deere reaffirms commitment in realignment announcement (Nov. 4, 2026)

• Corridor Business Journal / QCBJ: John Deere to close two Iowa factories as part of U.S. restructuring (Nov. 4, 2026)

• DTN/Progressive Farmer: John Deere Announces Iowa Plant Closures, Production Moves Through 2029

• CBS2 Iowa: John Deere announces plans to close plants, consolidate operations (Nov. 4, 2026)

• KCCI: John Deere closures: Clarion, Ottumwa locations to shut down

• KTVO: John Deere officials announce closing of 2 Iowa plants, including Ottumwa

• Radio Iowa: Clarion officials plan for closure of Deere-owned facility (Nov. 5, 2026)

• KWQC: UAW responds after John Deere announces Iowa plant closures

• Farm Equipment: Deere completes purchase of Iowa-based planter manufacturer (2009)