Silicon Valley Layoffs Benefit Tech-Hungry Farm Equipment Manufacturers

The largest tractor manufacturer in the world, Deere & Co., is based in Illinois. As it expands into autonomous tractors, mining trucks, and other smart farming technology, it is eager to add tech workers to its payroll. Mass layoffs at major tech firms have opened the talent pipeline for rivals.

According to executives, large agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the American Midwest are on a mission to entice Silicon Valley tech workers who have been affected by a wave of hiring freezes and layoffs.

Deere & Co., the largest tractor manufacturer in the world with headquarters in Illinois, has created a talent pipeline for rivals eager to enter the autonomous tractor, mining truck, and other fields of smart farming technology. These competitors are eager to add tech workers to their payrolls.

With so many job openings, companies are offering remote work arrangements and opening new offices in major cities such as Austin and Chicago, which could be an appealing draw for workers who don't want to relocate to smaller Midwestern cities where many of the companies are based.

Auto executives claim that Detroit automakers are also hiring tech professionals to meet the expanding software requirements of vehicles.

To meet farmers' equipment demand, the combine harvester manufacturer has increased its focus on agriculture in recent years, stacking its tech workforce with highly skilled workers in automation and artificial intelligence.

Working from home was once uncommon in more traditional companies such as Deere, but it is now more common. In some cases, employers are willing to let employees stay in their current cities rather than relocate.

The goal is to give prospective employees the option of working from home or coming to a city office that resembles a Silicon Valley tech campus.

Deere's global headquarters are in Moline, about 165 miles west of Chicago, but the company's decision to open a tech hub in Chicago's trendy West Loop neighborhood last year has helped it become more visible to prospective job candidates who want to live in cities.

Recognizing that not all tech workers want to relocate to the Midwest, Deere is also hiring in Austin, Texas, where it plans to open an "Innovation Hub" in 2022, and San Francisco, where it has had an office since 2017. Deere's global director of talent, Johane Domersant, agreed.

Construction and agricultural equipment manufacturers have historically struggled to compete with Silicon Valley compensation packages, according to Scott Wine, CEO of CNH Industrial, an American-Italian machinery manufacturer.

CNH hired more than 350 engineers last year, including some from Amazon.com and Microsoft Corp, according to Wine. CNH anticipates spending more than $1.4 billion on research and development as the company expands precision agriculture offerings in 2023.

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