We Bet You Didn’t Know BMW and John Deere Have Something in Common

The two companies collaborated to win eight design awards last year.

BMW Group subsidiary Designworks has been in a relationship with John Deere for over 20 years. In 2016, the companies received eight awards in international design competitions for John Deere construction and forestry equipment, which is the most in these market segments. Acquired by BMW Group in 1995, Designworks is a creative consultancy and has worked with numerous clients outside the automotive industry including HP, Microsoft, Corsair, Coca Cola, Embraer, Neil Pryde, Siemens Trains and Singapore Airlines.

To start off 2016, two John Deere crawler dozers were recognized with the Red Dot Award for outstanding product design. In December, the companies saw five John Deere products receive the Good Design Award, affirming the high quality design of the 850K and 1050K Crawlers. The 843L Wheeled Feller Buncher was also honored for its achievements in improving productivity and working conditions in harsh environments. Receiving an award for its capabilities in enhancing productivity, operating ease and comfort was the 410L Backhoe Loader, while the 848L Skidder received the award for its outstanding performance, anti-fatigue and comfort solutions in skidding.

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In January, the 1050K Crawler was among the winners named by the prestigious iF jury.

“Designing highly complex machinery requires a deep technological understanding” said Oliver Heilmer, president of Designworks. “Ever since we conducted our first H Crawler project for John Deere in 1996, the foundation for success between our companies has been the continuous sharing of knowledge and experiences, along with a constant fostering of a shared design culture.”