John Deere Davenport Works to be featured on History Channel’s ‘Modern Marvels’ Sunday

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - John Deere Davenport Works will be featured on the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” TV show at 9 p.m. Sunday.

“The History Channel came to us because they wanted to feature iconic American manufacturers,” General Manager Mary Pat Tubb said. “Of course, they thought of John Deere, and Davenport Works is a great representation of not just John Deere manufacturing, but American manufacturing as well.”

The show features the history, innovation, and technological advances of a broad range of machines. John Deere Davenport Works will be featured in the “Heavy Machinery” episode.

The show will provide an overview of the factory and construction equipment built there, feature highly skilled employees who build the machines, and spotlight the innovation and technology that’s central to Deere factories and equipment, according to John Deere officials.

“When they first called, I think, we were excited,” Tubbs said. “Of course, we love what we do here. We think it’s pretty cool and it was exciting to have the opportunity to share it with everybody else.”

Donterious Morrison, an 18-year employee, said it was “pure excitement” to have the History Channel check out the plant.

“I couldn’t believe it actually,” he said. “When I got the opportunity to do that it was just crazy.

“Actually, it was just like a normal day. We just did what we normally do, and just a little bit different with the cameras all around us. But it was awesome.”

Tubbs said there were drones in the factory to get footage and Davenport Works operators helped get the History Channel crew into the JLG lifts to get shots in the ceiling.

“I hope that the reaction is going to be that people see that manufacturing is a cool and exciting place to work,” she said. “I hope that they see that it’s a lot of fun what we do here. That it’s cool. That it’s not what factories looked like 50 or 100 years ago.”

“Finally be able to have John Deere Davenport Works out in the limelight like that, it’s just absolutely crazy to me,” Morrison said. “Everybody can see what we do on a daily basis. And the fact that my kids can actually see what I do, which is most important to me. I mean, there’s going to be a million faces that watch but my kids [are] probably the most important thing.” Added Tubbs, “I think one of the best things about it is that our employees walked away seeing themselves through his eyes and they realize just how cool what they do is.”

Copyright 2021 KWQC. All rights reserved.