Deere has completed a $24 million, 22,000 square foot project that adds 12 jobs and 2 presses used to punch out steel parts at their Horicon Works manufacturing facility in Horicon, Wis. This comes three years after a $43 million, 388,000 square foot expansion project at the same facility. Horicon Works employs more than 1,200 people and produces lawnmowers and snowblowers at its downtown plant, while Building 101 on the city’s southern edge manufacturers parts for UTVs.

The latest expansion project at Building 101, which includes $250,000 in funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., adds a $1.8 million 700-ton press and a $3.2 million 1,100-ton press. Another 700-ton press will come in March that will replace an older model.

Steve Johnson, who has been factory manager since 2010 and has worked for John Deere for 40 years, said business at Horicon has grown 50% since 2010 thanks in large part to increased sales of Gators and riding lawn tractors. In addition, Horicon Works is also making parts for John Deere facilities in Georgia, Tennessee, Iowa and Illinois.