John Deere Signs Agreement With Stihl

TRIANGLE PARK, NC - Deere & Company and Andreas Stihl AG & Co. recently signed a technology sharing agreement, licensing Stihl to design, develop and manufacture engines using a reduced-emission, 2-stroke engine fuel handling technology developed by John Deere.

Stihl will use the technology in some products as one of the means of satisfying emissions standards such as CARB Tier II, EPA Phase II and future European regulations, which are expected to mirror those of the EPA.

"The breadth of our product line demands the investigation and development of multiple technologies, allowing us to provide the optimum solution for each product and application," said Hans Peter Stihl, chairman of Andreas Stihl.

Deere is offering this fuel handling technology to other companies under license agreements. "The signing of the Stihl agreement represents a breakthrough in Deere's efforts to spread the use of this technology," said Dan Reilly, vice president of manufacturing and product development for the John Deere Worldwide Commercial and Consumer Equipment Division.