Milestone at Waterloo Deere Engine Works

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A John Deere plant in Waterloo is celebrating the milestone of building 2 million engines.

The plant built engine number 2 million last month and marked the achievement Monday as it completed the assembly of a tractor powered by the engine.

Deere's Waterloo engine plant began production 40 years ago.

Kenny Hager, a Cedar Falls resident who has worked at Deere for 20 years, says the milestone is as important to his union, the United Auto Workers Local 838, as it is to the company.

Hager called it "a really neat thing, because it's big for the community."