DUBUQUE, Iowa — Nov. 5, 2026 — John Deere announced Wednesday that it will close two Iowa manufacturing plants in the coming years — and that a review now underway of its construction and forestry operations could affect Dubuque Works.

No closure has been announced for Dubuque. The company said only that the division is evaluating its operations, with no decision, timeline, or job number given for Dubuque. But the announcement lands less than a week after Deere invited every previously laid-off Dubuque worker back to the plant, and it puts Dubuque Works in the middle of a company-wide reshaping of its factory footprint.

What Deere announced

Deere said Wednesday, Nov. 4, that it will move windrower production from its Ottumwa plant to Des Moines Works in Ankeny by the end of fiscal year 2027, which ends Oct. 31, 2027, and round-baler production to Ankeny by the end of fiscal year 2028. Once both moves are complete, the company plans to close the Ottumwa plant. Deere did not say how many jobs would be affected; other outlets reported about 700 workers at the Ottumwa plant.

The company will also move production of Hagie self-propelled sprayers from its Clarion plant — where they have been built since 1947 — to Thibodaux, Louisiana, beginning in fiscal year 2028, ending manufacturing in Clarion by the end of fiscal year 2029.

Two smaller moves are part of the same plan: small-planter production moves from John Deere Seeding in Moline, Illinois, to the company’s facility in Paton, Iowa, in fiscal year 2027, and sugar cane harvester production moves from Thibodaux to Catalão, Brazil, in fiscal year 2029.

Deere said the changes are needed to align “production capacity with regional customer demand and advanced manufacturing capabilities,” citing changing customer demand and manufacturing capacity. The company reported in August that profits for the first nine months of fiscal year 2026 were 4 percent lower than the same period a year earlier, with sales of production and precision farm equipment down 6 percent.

What it means for Dubuque

Dubuque Works builds construction and forestry equipment, and it falls squarely inside the division Deere said is now evaluating its operations, including strategic sourcing, to manage costs and add flexibility as market conditions and customer demand shift.

What that review could mean in practice — a production move, a sourcing change, or nothing at all — has not been stated, and Deere has given no date for a decision. The company said it recognizes the impact the announced decisions will have on employees and communities and will engage with employees, union representatives where applicable, local leaders, and community stakeholders through the transition.

The timing is a sharp turn from last week. On Oct. 30, Deere announced it would recall 275 employees and hire more than 400 people across its factories, with all employees previously on layoff in Waterloo, the Quad Cities, Ottumwa, and Dubuque asked to return to work. About 125 employees remain on layoff in the Des Moines area. Total callbacks since 2024 reach about 1,000. Earlier 2026 recalls in Dubuque were 24 workers in January, 27 in February, and 21 in April; the Oct. 30 announcement did not break out a Dubuque-specific number for this round.

Deere must work with the United Auto Workers, which represents Ottumwa employees, to determine “the timeline and the approach for the closure,” Deanna Kovar, president of Deere’s agriculture and turf division, said Wednesday. Deere and the UAW are slated to begin contract negotiations in 2027.

For Dubuque, the story now is a question, not a verdict: a plant that was recalling workers last week is under review this week, with no answer yet on what the review will bring.