U.S. Sugar, Everglades Equipment Group Announce Strategic Partnership Utilizing Latest American-Grown John Deere Technology

CLEWISTON, Fla. , June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of U.S. Sugar's commitment to sustainably producing sugar for American consumers over the next 100 years, the Company announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with Everglades Equipment Group, one of the nation's leading providers of John Deere equipment and precision agriculture technology solutions. The partnership includes the use of the latest John Deere technology solutions on sugarcane harvesters and tractors used by U.S. Sugar farmers and operators across the company's South Florida farms.

"Our Company is rooted in innovation, dating back to our founder Charles Stewart Mott's groundbreaking vision to make U.S. Sugar one of the most technologically advanced farming companies in the world," said U.S. Sugar President & CEO Ken McDuffie. "Through our work with John Deere and Everglades Equipment Group, we are continuing to push the limits of American innovation to produce food in a more economic and sustainable way. This partnership harnesses the very best precision agriculture technology currently available in American agriculture today."

"Since 1963, Everglades Equipment Group has been helping Florida farmers utilize cutting-edge John Deere equipment and highly trained service," said Mike Schlecter, CEO of Everglades Equipment Group. "One of our most trusted and loyal customers has been U.S. Sugar, which is currently utilizing our advanced technology across its farmlands, which in turn helps John Deere scale our technology solutions for other customers around the world."

Through U.S. Sugar and Everglades Equipment Group's partnership, the following technology solutions are being used and refined across U.S. Sugar's nearly 255,000 acres of farmland:

• JDLink: Connects equipment to provide Machine Data, Machine Health, and Work Data to John Deere's cloud-based software, Operations Center.
• Work Plans: Sends field boundaries, guidance lines, and tasks to machines that will auto-detect when entering the field.
• Embedded Machine Tech/Efficiency Manager: Saves fuel by controlling the transmission based on engine load.
• Multi-section dry fertilizer applicators: Provides operators with the ability to use section control by row, significantly controlling fertilizer usage.
• T3rra Cutta Landforming software: Use of drones to survey field elevations and design the desired field level control file, which ultimately improves GPS land leveling and water retention capabilities.

The strategic partnership also leverages the latest John Deere sugarcane harvester technology, including auto idle, auto Field Cruise, and Smart Clean to reduce fuel consumption. The harvester's technology also includes base cutter height control and Floating Crop Dividers to maintain a consistent cut of the sugarcane crop. Finally, the companies also announced today that they are working collaboratively on an Autonomous Tractor Solution, which is currently still in the research and development phase.

About U.S. Sugar

U.S. Sugar is a South Florida-based farming and processing company that sustainably grows sugarcane, citrus, sweet corn and other winter and spring vegetables that feed American families. The company was founded in 1931 by Charles Stewart Mott, a visionary leader who hailed from a long line of farmers. Since the beginning, the company's success has been rooted in traditional farming values and respect for the land. U.S. Sugar also operates a sugar refinery in Savannah, Georgia that produces retail and store brand sugar for customers throughout the southeast. Along with operating its 300-mile railroad, in total, U.S. Sugar sustainably farms 255,000 acres in Highlands, Glades, Hendry, Palm Beach and Martin counties in Florida and serves as a vital part of our rural communities, providing 3,000 jobs, community leadership and philanthropic support. For more information, please visit www.ussugar.com/.

About Everglades Equipment Group

Founded in 1963, Everglades Equipment Group is a family owned and operated full-service John Deere dealership in Central and South Florida covering central and south Florida. Everglades Equipment Group serves a wide range of customers from some of the largest agricultural producers of sugar, citrus and vegetables to individual farmers, golf courses, nurseries, commercial landscape management companies, and construction businesses, as well as large and small property owners. For more information, please visit https://www.evergladesfarmequipment.com/.

Contact: Ryan Duffy (U.S. Sugar)
(863) 902-2159

Contact: Alliegh Reitz (Everglades Equipment Group)
(561) 261-0128

SOURCE U.S. Sugar