MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

From the ambitions of a Vermont blacksmith rose one of the world's largest suppliers of farming, landscaping, and construction equipment. When Vermont's economy became depressed in the mid-1830s, thirty-year-old blacksmith John Deere decided to follow many of his fellow New Englanders west in search of greater opportunity. He settled in the town of Grand Detour, IL, and was soon kept busy serving all the needs of his bustling new community. His first major contribution to farming was the development of a self-scouring steel plow. Former Easterners found that the plows they brought with them when they moved west were unsuitable for the rich Mid-Western soil; the soil clung to the plow bottoms, forcing the farmers to stop and scrape them clean every few steps. Deere figured that a properly shaped and polished plow blade would eliminate this problem. His plan was a huge success. Between Deere's plow and other tools and his business model - he pre-built many tools and took them to sell where farmers gathered rather than making them one at a time based on pre-orders - can be said to have changed Mid-Western agriculture. His insistence that his company produce only the highest quality tools ensured Deere & Company's success. When his partner suggested that he needn't be so concerned with quality and constant improvement because his customers had no choice but to buy from him, Deere replied that "If we don't improve our product, somebody else will." John Deere's commitment to quality and innovation poised his company to become the household name it is today, more than a century after the founder relinquished control.