Written by: Yale Climate Connections Team

John Deere — the company behind the iconic green tractors — plans to go even greener. By 2026, John Deere plans to make and sell a variety of electric tractors and construction equipment.

As a step toward that goal, the company recently acquired a majority stake in Kreisel Electric, an Austrian company. And it’s building a factory in Kernersville, North Carolina, to manufacture Kreisel Electric batteries and chargers.

Baker Sanders: “So we anticipate that that will create 50 jobs, including positions for assembly and packaging, with the potential to contribute over $3.3 million to the region.”

That’s North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders.

She says she’s excited about the long-term benefits of the new factory.

Baker Sanders: “When companies locate in North Carolina — and this will be the case here, too — we see a multiplier effect, where not only the company locates and grows, but any vendors and suppliers that support the company or feed into those supply chains have an opportunity to come here.”

So the factory that produces batteries for the iconic green tractors could also attract more green to the region.

This article originally appeared on Yale Climate Connections