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UNITED STATES 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

 

  FORM 8-K  

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: April 30, 2020

(Date of earliest event reported)

 

DEERE & COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   1-4121   36-2382580
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

One John Deere Place

Moline, Illinois 61265

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

 

(309) 765-8000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

___________________________________________________

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

 

Title of each class   Trading symbol   Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $1 par value   DE   New York Stock Exchange
8½ % Debentures Due 2022   DE22   New York Stock Exchange
6.55% Debentures Due 2028   DE28   New York Stock Exchange

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

The Board of Directors (“Board”) of Deere & Company has elected Tamra A. Erwin to the Board effective on May 1, 2020. Ms. Erwin is executive vice president and chief executive officer of Verizon Business, a division of Verizon Communications, Inc. Ms. Erwin is expected to be appointed a member of the Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Board.

 

Deere announced these changes in a press release, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)       Exhibits

 

Number Description of Exhibit
   
99.1 Press Release
   
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are imbedded in the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereto duly authorized.

 

  DEERE & COMPANY
     
     
  By: /s/ Todd E. Davies
    Todd E. Davies
    Secretary
     
  Dated: May 1, 2020    

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

Jen Hartmann

Director, Public Relations

HartmannJenniferA@JohnDeere.com

1-309-948-1658

 

Verizon Executive Erwin Joins Deere Board of Directors

 

MOLINE, Illinois (May 1, 2020) — Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) today announced the election of Tamra A. Erwin, a leading telecommunications executive, to the company's board of directors. Erwin is executive vice president and chief executive officer of Verizon Business, a division of Verizon Communications, Inc. The organization headed by Erwin provides services and products for business and government clients around the world and has sales of more than $30 billion.

 

“We are pleased to welcome a business leader of Tami’s stature to the Deere board,” said John C. May, chairman and chief executive officer. “Her wealth of experience in the telecommunications field will be of particular value as we extend our leadership in smart connected machines and precision technologies. Tami’s background in marketing and customer support is yet another asset she brings to our board."

 

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Erwin joined Verizon in the late 1980s as a customer service representative. In subsequent years, her positions included chief marketing officer and executive vice president of wireless operations. She serves on the Verizon foundation board and the Paley Media Center board of trustees.

 

With Erwin’s election, the Deere board will have 11 members, 10 of whom are independent, or non-employee, directors. The previously announced retirement of Sam Allen, the company’s former chief executive officer and board chairman since 2010, became effective today.

 

About Deere & Company

 

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.