May 31, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. The Deere & Company board of directors authorized on May 30, 2007 plans to repurchase up to 20 million additional shares of common stock. "This action reflects confidence in the company's future direction and in its ability to generate sustainable cash flow to fund growth opportunities while returning cash to our shareholders," said Robert W. Lane, chairman and chief executive officer. "Since 2004, the company has returned more than $4 billion to investors through a combination of repurchases and dividends." During this period, the company's quarterly dividend rate has doubled. The repurchase program will go into effect after the existing 26 million–share plan, announced in November 2005, is completed. There were 4.6 million shares remaining under the prior authorization on April 30, 2007. Repurchases will be made at the company's discretion in the open market. Deere had approximately 225 million shares outstanding on April 30, 2007. In addition, Deere's board of directors declared a dividend of $0.44 a share, payable August 1, 2007, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2007. The dividend rate is unchanged from the previous quarter. John Deere - the world leader on manufacture agricultural and forestry equipment, the large manufacturer of building techniques and the leading supplier of the equipment for care of parks and lawns. John Deere & Company was found in 1837. The concern has more than 600 independent dealers worldwide. The division of forestry machines John Deere Forestry is presented in Russia by two offices in Saint-Petersburg and Khabarovsk. Ten dealers of the company (Saint-Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Perm, Petrozavodsk, Syktyvkar, Belozersk, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Vologda, Koryazhma) provide service for clients all over Russia.