If there’s a “ground zero” for tractor manufacturing, it’s Deere’s assembly plant in Waterloo, IA. The multi-building operation includes a foundry, a drive train assembly line, an engine assembly line and a final assembly line.
Deere has been making tractors in Waterloo since it acquired the Waterloo Gasoline Tractor Co., which made a popular product called the Waterloo Boy, back in 1918. A decade ago, Deere underwent a seven-year redevelopment at its Waterloo Works. It applied lean manufacturing principles to streamline production and improve ergonomics.