John Deere (1804-1886)
A blacksmith by trade, John Deere found himself making the same repairs to plows repeatedly in his Grand Detour, Ill., shop.
Realizing the wood and cast-iron plows used at the time were not up to the challenges presented by Midwestern prairie soil, Deere began experimenting with new designs. He eventually crafted a new piece of equipment: a self-scouring plow made of steel from a broken sawblade.
Deere sold his first one in 1838. He then produced 10 improved plows by the following year, and 40 more the year after that. Increasing demand in 1843 led Deere to partner with Leonard Andrus to produce more inventory and by 1857, their annual output of plows was 10,000.
In 1868, Deere’s business incorporated under the name Deere & Company, and today is a world-leading equipment manufacturer headquartered in Moline, Ill., with 2021 revenue of $44 billion.
