Farm and construction equipment maker John Deere recently announced a production milestone.
The company's plant in Horicon, Wisconsin, produced its 500,000th Gator utility vehicle. The particular machine that marked the achievement was a XUV825i, one of the most-recent additions to John Deere's line of products.
Siva Sundaresan, John Deere global director of utility sales, said the company will strive to build its next 500,000 at an even faster pace.
"We expect to continue our success in these products as John Deere remains committed to deliver an industry-leading portfolio of utility vehicles to customers," Sundaresan said.
John Deere first started building this type of utility equipment in 1987. Eventually, the company produced its first Gator in 1993. While they were originally built in a number of locations, the Horicon Works now acts as the sole design and manufacturing facility for the vehicles.
The Gator product line has 17 different models that can cater to a variety of agricultural, construction and lawn-care needs. They are even used by some professional sports teams to help cart off injured players.
Utility vehicle produced by John Deere hits 500,000
John Deere is known for a variety of utility vehicles and tractors.