John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a Kingsburg, California-based company specializing in supervised autonomy for high-value crops. The move builds on a joint venture established between the two companies in 2022.
“Fully integrating GUSS into the John Deere portfolio is a continuation of our dedication to serving high-value crop customers with advanced, scalable technologies to help them do more with less,” said Julien Le Vely, Director, Production Systems, High Value & Small Acre Crops, at John Deere. “GUSS brings a proven solution to a fast-growing segment of agriculture, and its team has a deep understanding of customer needs in orchards and vineyards.”
Founded in 2018 by Dave Crinklaw, GUSS manufactures autonomous sprayers that can be remotely supervised by a single operator managing up to eight machines simultaneously. Using GPS, LiDAR, and proprietary software, the sprayers navigate orchards and vineyards with precision, helping reduce operator error, labour costs, and material waste.
More than 250 GUSS machines have been deployed worldwide, spraying 2.6 million acres and logging over 500,000 autonomous hours.
The sprayers will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively through John Deere dealers, while the business retains its name, brand, employees, and Kingsburg manufacturing facility. John Deere will also support GUSS in expanding globally and accelerating innovation, including integration with John Deere precision agriculture technologies such as Smart Apply, which offers targeted spraying and up to 50% savings on chemical and water use.
“Joining John Deere enables us to tap into their unmatched innovative capabilities in precision agriculture technologies to bring our solutions to more growers around the world,” said Gary Thompson, Chief Operations Officer at GUSS. “Our team is passionate about helping high-value crop growers increase their efficiency and productivity in their operations, and together with John Deere, we will have the ability to have an even greater impact.”
GUSS manufacturing operations also expand John Deere’s U.S. manufacturing footprint in the country’s high-value crop production regions. The sprayers will continue using John Deere Power Systems engines, which were first integrated in 2024.