Deere & Co lands in Des Moines as hiring and expansion accelerate

Deere & Co flew from Chicago Midway to Des Moines International Airport on June 11, completing the 73-minute trip in a Gulfstream G280 (tail N282JD). The short-hop from a major hub to Iowa’s capital is a familiar route for the agricultural giant, which shuttles executives between its Moline headquarters and plants scattered across the Midwest.

The same week, John Deere announced it would hire 30 new workers at its Dubuque facility and bring back 140 employees to its Waterloo operations, per local and industry reports [kcrg.com](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/06/11/dubuque-john-deere-facility-hiring-30-new-postitions/), [agweb.com](https://www.agweb.com/news/machinery/new-machinery/exclusive-how-john-deere-navigating-ag-downturn-equipment-costs-and-). The company also released second-quarter earnings showing a $272 million tariff refund and strong construction-equipment demand, with plans to open new facilities in Indiana and North Carolina [finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/deere-reaps-benefits-ieepa-tariff-113000563.html), [agdaily.com](https://www.agdaily.com/news/john-deere-us-expansion-following-year-of-layoffs/).

Deere & Co’s fleet—including this Gulfstream G280—regularly links Chicago, Moline, Minneapolis, and Austin, but the Des Moines stop suggests a closer look at Iowa operations. With construction sales rising and tariff clarity improving, the company is recalibrating its workforce after a year of heavy layoffs. This flight looks like a sign of that recalibration in motion.