Ottumwa is doing something special to thank a long-time business in the community. John Deere and Company began operating in Ottumwa 95 years ago and now the city has put up a billboard to thank the company for being a part of the community. John Deere’s hay and forage equipment division is headquartered in Ottumwa and employs 900.
The chairman of the Ottumwa Economic Development Corporation says they want Deere to hear their appreciation all the way to their corporate headquarters in Moline, Illinois. Ottumwans are being invited to join in for a group picture of the town next Wednesday at the site of the billboard.