John May

John May
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Chairman and CEO, Deere & Company
Known for	Leading Deere & Company (John Deere)

John May is an American business executive who serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Deere & Company, the multinational corporation widely known by its brand name John Deere. As the head of one of the world's largest manufacturers of agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, May oversees a global enterprise with operations spanning multiple continents and a workforce of tens of thousands of employees. Under his leadership, Deere & Company has pursued significant investments in technology, precision agriculture, and domestic manufacturing expansion, including the announcement of major new facilities in the United States. May's tenure at the helm of the iconic American company has been marked by strategic efforts to modernize the firm's product lines while reinforcing its commitment to U.S.-based production and employment.

Career

Deere & Company

John May rose through the ranks of Deere & Company to become the corporation's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, he is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company, which manufactures and distributes equipment used in agriculture, construction, forestry, and turf care, among other sectors. Deere & Company, headquartered in Moline, Illinois, is one of the oldest and most recognized industrial brands in the United States, tracing its origins to 1837.

U.S. Manufacturing Expansion

Under May's leadership, Deere & Company announced a major expansion of its domestic manufacturing footprint. In 2025, the company revealed plans for two new U.S. facilities, a move described by the company as building on both Deere's and President Donald Trump's commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The expansion was presented as a significant investment in American jobs. Among the details disclosed, the company noted that a campus in Kernersville, North Carolina, was part of the planned growth. The announcement underscored Deere's broader strategy under May to strengthen its supply chain and production capabilities within the United States, aligning corporate investment with domestic economic priorities.

The decision to build new American facilities reflected ongoing discussions in the manufacturing sector about the importance of reshoring production and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains. For Deere & Company, which has long maintained a substantial manufacturing presence in the U.S. Midwest and other regions of the country, the expansion represented a continuation of its historical roots in American industry while also responding to contemporary political and economic pressures favoring domestic production.