DE Deere and Co

 

 

UNITED STATES

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Washington, D.C.  20549

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Date of Report:  January 7, 2015

(Date of earliest event reported)

 

D E E R E  &  C O M P A N Y

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

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)

 

 

 

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))

 

 

 

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

 

Michael O. Johanns has been elected to the Deere & Company board of directors effective January 8, 2015. Mr. Johanns is a former U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Nebraska. Mr. Johanns has been appointed to the Corporate Governance and Pension Plan Oversight committees of the board of directors.

 

Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

99.1     News Release

 

2

 

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: January 7, 2015

 

3

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Number and Description of Exhibit

 

(99.1)     News Release

 

4

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

Contact:

Ken Golden

Director, Global Public Relations

309-765-5678

 

 

Mike Johanns elected to Deere & Company Board of Directors

 

MOLINE, Illinois (January 7, 2015) — Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced today that former U.S. Senator Michael O. Johanns has been elected to its board of directors effective January 8, 2015. Johanns recently completed his term in the Senate after deciding not to run for re-election. He has also previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and as governor of Nebraska.

 

“Mike’s wide range of expertise in the areas of agriculture, banking, commerce, foreign trade, law and governance will be valuable assets for the Deere & Company Board of Directors,” said Samuel R. Allen, Deere’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We are pleased Mike has agreed to join the Deere Board.”

Johanns was governor of Nebraska from 1999 until 2005. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2005 and served in that capacity until 2007. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 and announced in 2013 that he would not run for re-election.

Johanns is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Creighton University School of Law. Before his election as governor, he had been elected to various local government positions in Nebraska, including as a member of the Lancaster County Board and the Lincoln City Council and as mayor of Lincoln for two terms.

With Senator Johanns’ election, Deere & Company’s Board totals 12 members, 11 of whom are independent directors.

Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) 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.