Deere & Co returns to Moline after Chicago meetings amid tariff recovery

Deere & Co flew from DuPage Airport to Quad City International on May 15, 2026, a 38-minute hop that completed a round trip between the Chicago area and its Moline headquarters. The Gulfstream G280 arrived just after 4 p.m. local time, following an earlier leg that morning from Moline to the Chicago suburbs.

The same week, Deere & Co is navigating a $500 million tariff impact on its 2026 operations, per a Manufacturing Dive report, while also showing signs of recovery. The company reported a 12.9% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2026 and raised its full-year profit forecast to between $4.5 billion and $5.0 billion, according to the Quad Cities Business Journal. Chairman and CEO John May noted that the company is bringing 99 workers back to Iowa facilities, calling 2026 "the bottom of the current cycle."

The short-haul shuttle between Moline and Chicago is routine for Deere & Co's executive fleet, with N282JD and N300JD frequently moving teams between plants and meetings. This particular trip likely involved discussions with dealers or policymakers in Chicago, as the company balances tariff headwinds with a cautiously optimistic outlook for the agricultural equipment market.