MOLINE, Ill. - Deere & Company announced today, Dec. 18, 2000, it has agreed to acquire the Great Dane Power Equipment Company of Jeffersonville, Ind. Great Dane, an innovation leader in commercial mowing equipment, will become part of the Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division of John Deere. Financial details of the acquisition were not released.
"This acquisition allows John Deere to extend even further its service to landscape professionals," said John Jenkins, Deere's president of commercial and consumer equipment.
"Great Dane has quickly gained a reputation for innovative, quality products, many of which include unique, patented features," Jenkins said. "This is an extremely good fit for John Deere and Great Dane since both companies emphasize quality and innovation."
Great Dane Power Equipment, which had nearly $23 million in sales in 1999, was incorporated in 1996 by Dane Scag. The company manufactures a limited line of commercial mowing equipment, including a stand-on commercial mower unique to the industry. Scag will remain with the company and focus on research and development of new products for commercial mowing.
The Great Dane product line complements the current John Deere commercial mowing product line, a market in which Deere already has a developed presence.
Great Dane will continue to manufacture and distribute equipment under the Great Dane brand. The company manufactures products in a plant north of Louisville, Ky., and distributors sell Great Dane equipment to about 400 dealers in the U.S. and about 300 more in Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
