2026 Executive Outlook: Kevin Kruck, Director, Earthmoving Marketing, John Deere
Kruck outlines the market forces shaping Deere’s 2026 strategy, from regional demand and dealer investments to the emerging technologies...
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As construction equipment executives look ahead to 2026, they are navigating a landscape shaped by persistent economic pressures and targeted pockets of strength.
Tariffs, high interest rates and inflation may cause contractors to delay big purchases and increase equipment rentals to reduce near-term risk. At the same time, the data center and energy infrastructure demand tied to the AI boom is fueling growth in many regions throughout the country.
For this series of Q&As, Equipment World tapped nearly a dozen construction industry leaders to find out what trends are shaping their strategy in 2026, how they plan to invest in their manufacturing and dealer operations and how the current political climate is impacting their product roadmap – from regulatory changes to supply chain constraints.
Our slate of experts also touched on technology – from telematics to automation – and the next steps in their alternative power transformation.
This year’s participants include:
Brad Stemper, Head of Americas Product Management, Case Construction Equipment
Kevin Kruck, Director, Earthmoving Marketing, Deere
Morgan Stallings, Senior Director of Dealer Development & Marketing, Develon
Kyle Fuglesten, Vice President of Construction, Hitachi
Paul Barlow, President, Huddig
Mike Ross, Senior Vice President, HD Hyundai Construction Equipment
Paul Manger, Executive Director of Product Marketing, Kubota
Illmars Nartish, Vice President, Manitou North America
Jeffery Ratliff, Director of Sales & Marketing, and Jeff Stewart, President, Takeuchi
Scott Young, Head of Region North America, Volvo CE
Keep reading to see where Kevin Kruck, Director, Earthmoving Marketing, John Deere Construction & Forestry, is placing his bets in 2026.
Kevin Kruck, Director, Earthmoving Marketing, John Deere Construction & ForestryJohn Deere
We continue to see steady demand from customers in North America, along with growing excitement in markets across Australia and South America. Additionally, John Deere recently expanded its dealer network in Brazil, strengthening our global reach and ability to meet customer needs around the world.
EW: How are customer requests and feedback shaping the types of equipment or attachments you plan to release next year?
We always put our customers first. We listen to what they need and use their feedback to make our equipment and solutions better. The John Deere customer advisory group brings together customers from a variety of segments and sizes allowing us to gain insights throughout our development process. It’s what makes us closer to our customers as true collaborators, as we shape what we bring to market. This is a strategy that helps us create smarter solutions that really work for them.
EW: What role will emerging technologies—automation, electrification, AI, telematics, etc.—play in your R&D and product launches?
Emerging technologies, including automation, electrification, AI, and connectivity play an important role in the development of new solutions and equipment for our customers. We are always making decisions and exploring new avenues with intention, focusing on delivering technology with a purpose. These solutions are designed to help solve challenges for our customers and remain a key focus for John Deere today and for the future.
At CES 2025, we unveiled a variety of autonomous solutions that support John Deere customers across the agriculture, construction, and commercial landscaping markets. With 88% of construction contractors struggling to find skilled labor, the 460 P-Tier Autonomous Articulated Dump Truck that we showed at CES, which is being tested with customers, uses a camera-based perception kit to handle the repetitive tasks of transporting material around the quarry and facilitates various steps in the cycle. This allows operators to focus on more important tasks. This is one step forward in our autonomous journey, and we remain committed to delivering advanced equipment capabilities that address the needs of our customers.
Over the past several years, we’ve invested heavily in technology that transforms the operator experience and enhances safety. With solutions like SmartDetect™, our loaders gained the ability to use cameras and machine learning to detect objects in the machine’s path. Operators using this technology will receive visual and audible alerts in the cab, and bystanders on the jobsite will be alerted by an external alarm when they are detected near the machine. We also recently introduced SmartDetect™ Digital, which allows jobsite managers to see near-real-time notifications, review video footage of near-miss events, as well as review weekly summaries and analyze heat maps of the jobsite. These tools, designed strategically for jobsite managers, increase awareness and accountability to help keep people safe on the jobsite.
EW: What’s your outlook on hiring and retaining skilled manufacturing talent in the year ahead?
We recognize that there are countless talented individuals that are looking to jumpstart their next career chapters. Through our recruiting efforts, we have invested in a variety of programs to help retain and recruit new talent to our company.
John Deere created its Military Hiring Program to help active-duty military personnel, veterans, National Guard members, reservists, as well as their spouses and dependents kick-start their next career chapters. This commitment helps connect career-seeking individuals with local opportunities in a variety of fields based on experience, helping them to settle into civilian life with confidence while offering attainable career avenues. This program has helped us successfully bring new talent to the field and remains an instrumental program within our hiring efforts.
In addition, John Deere offers a variety of apprenticeship opportunities, including partnering with local high schools to support the next generation of welders.
EW: How are you working with your dealer network to ensure availability, service and customer support?
Our John Deere dealership network spans global markets to ensure customers have the tools and support needed for success. Whether a customer is purchasing new equipment, repairing or replacing a part of their fleet, or managing equipment financing, our highly trusted dealer network throughout the lifecycle of a customer’s needs.
I am really excited about the expansion of our digital tool set. New for 2025, we expanded our John Deere Operations Center experience in multiple ways, with one area focusing on service and maintenance. With the introduction of a new drop-down service menu, customers can easily and quickly review fleet health and service information in one convenient location. These machine-specific insights help our customers make more informed decisions.
We also recently expanded the capabilities of our John Deere Operations Center to simplify the day-to-day business operations for customers, saving them time so they can focus on the work that matters most. This includes new e-commerce capabilities that eases maintenance monitoring and parts ordering for customers as well as service scheduling with John Deere dealers or independent service providers.
Lastly, our Equipment Mobile app now offers an AI-Assistant tool within the digital Operators Manuals to help seamlessly find parts diagrams. Now, operators and technicians can quickly and easily find what they are looking for as the answers are literally in their back pocket.
EW: How are evolving emissions regulations and customer sustainability goals influencing your product development?
Our goal is to provide our customers with options and choices that address their needs today and, in the future, and in support of the global and local regulations in the markets we serve. Our focus is not only on delivering traditional diesel options, but also to offer battery-electric and diesel-electric hybrid solutions, as well as alternative fuel options that expand our portfolio. With a variety of evolving market needs, we remain committed to listening to our customers and providing options that enable more sustainable jobsites and operations.
EW: Looking beyond the next year, what’s your outlook for the global equipment market over the next 3–5 years?
We are excited and optimistic about the next 3-5 years. The industry is strong, and contractors are out there every day building the roads, bridges, and systems that connect our lives. Our customers are continuing to see a healthy backlog of work that needs to be done.
Finding skilled workers will remain a top challenge for customers. As the next wave of experienced and highly skilled operators start to retire, the knowledge gap will expand. Therefore, we will see an increased demand for more productivity and efficiency on the jobsite. Now, more than ever, our customers will need to adopt solutions that help automate some tasks so that they can remain both productive and profitable. Through our smarter, safer, and more sustainable solutions, John Deere is empowering its customers to overcome workforce constraints, drive profitability and build stronger operations for the future.
