Hans Becherer, who led Deere & Co. to record profits throughout the 1990s, has died. Becherer led the lawn-and-garden division to top $1 billion in sales for the first time, and played a role in the expansion of the company’s construction equipment portfolio.
“Hans Becherer led Deere & Co. during a time of significant growth and financial success,” said current Deere chairman and CEO Samuel Allen. “He is credited with expanding Deere’s international operations, broadening the product portfolio, and strengthening Deere’s global leadership in agriculture. He also was a driving force behind extensive revitalization efforts that took place in downtown Moline that began in the 1990s.”
Under Becherer’s leadership, Deere expanded its presence in Europe, Asia, and South America.
Becherer joined Deere & Co. in 1962 after receiving an MBA from Harvard University. He became president and chief operating officer in 1987, CEO in 1989 and chairman in 1990.
In 1999, Deere posted worldwide net sales and revenues of $11.7 billion and net income of $239 million. He retired in May 2000.
Becherer is survived by his wife, Michele; a daughter Vanessa, and three grandchildren.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.