Industry Roundup: Deere Names Construction Equipment VP as New CFO
Brent Norwood played a key role in Deere's acquisitions of Wirtgen Group and Blue River Technology.
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Several months after losing its chief financial officer to Honeywell Aerospace, John Deere’s board of directors has named Brent Norwood as the replacement.
Since joining Deere in 2012 as a project manager in the construction and forestry division, Norwood has held a variety of positions, including head of investor relations and, most recently, vice president and finance director for construction and forestry and John Deere Power Systems. Prior to joining John Deere, Norwood spent time working in the investment industry.
According to Deere, Norwood played a key role in the manufacturer’s acquisitions of Wirtgen Group and Blue River Technology and helped form the foundation for Deere’s Smart Industrial strategy and Leap Ambitions goals.
Norwood has replaced Josh Jepsen, a 20-year former Deere executive who announced January 20 he would resign to become the CFO of Honeywell Aerospace.
JCB Dealer Opens Second Atlanta Location
WesPro JCB recently opened its second facility in the Atlanta area, a 14,000-square-foot store in Norcross, Georgia, for sales and service for construction and agricultural customers.
“Our investment in facilities like WesPro JCB and our $1 billion Texas facility reflects our commitment to manufacturing in the United States and supporting American industry,” said Graeme Macdonald, CEO of JCB in a press release.
With a price tag of $14 million, the store is set on a three-acre lot along Interstate 85 and includes a 2,000-square-foot parts warehouse and 10 service bays.
Mid Country Machinery Opens Seventh Location
Iowa-based heavy equipment dealership Mid Country Machinery has announced the opening of its seventh location, in Blair, Nebraska, which will operate as a rental and service hub for customers in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
The Blair location, positioned closely to Mid Country Machinery’s Sioux City store, will offer a full lineup of aerial and compact construction equipment from brands like JLG, Hitachi, SkyTrak, and Sany.
Mid Country Machinery
This new location will result in better coverage near cities such as Omaha, Fremont, Tekamah and Missouri Valley. Contractors in the region will no longer need to drive up to an hour for equipment or service at other Mid Country Machinery locations.
Three to four key employees will staff the Blaire store, including a dedicated on-road service technician, the company says.
Mid Country Machinery sells and services equipment from Hitachi, Sany, Link-Belt and Sakai.
