Aon Warranty Group and John Deere Announce Warranty Service Partnership Agreement.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2003

Aon Warranty Group, a unit of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AOC) and John Deere (NYSE:DE) announced today a multi-year agreement to jointly deliver extended warranty and recommended maintenance service plans for select John Deere products.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aon Warranty Group will provide underwriting, training, direct marketing and consulting services for extended service plans supporting John Deere's Riding Lawn Equipment product line.

This innovative maintenance and extended service program, JD Maintenance Plan Plus (JDMP Plus), is designed to extend the life and performance of John Deere's riding lawn equipment by providing maintenance, parts and labor, annual inspections and transportation. The program also provides one year of extended term protection that mirrors the original John Deere two-year warranty.

John Hofmann, Senior Vice President of Aon Warranty Group, said: "We are pleased to enter this partnership with John Deere, the preeminent manufacturer of agricultural, commercial and consumer lawn equipment worldwide. Our unmatched protection, service and support, combined with John Deere's world-class brand reputation, is a winning combination."

"Maintenance Plan Plus is an industry exclusive," says Mark Dold, Marketing Support Services Manager for John Deere. "Aon has been very supportive of our goals and responsive to our needs throughout the development process. We are excited about working with Aon, and we anticipate a long, successful partnership."

About Aon Warranty Group

Aon Warranty Group is a world leader in sales, service and underwriting of mechanical repair agreements. Aon Corporation (www.aon.com) is a holding company comprised of a family of insurance brokerage, consulting and insurance underwriting subsidiaries with annual revenues in excess of $8 billion and over 55,000 employees in 125 countries worldwide.

About John Deere & Company

John Deere is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment; a leading supplier of equipment used in lawn, grounds and turf care; and a major manufacturer of construction equipment. Additionally, John Deere manufactures engines used in heavy equipment and provides financial services and other related activities that support the core businesses. Since it was founded in 1837, the company has established a heritage of quality products and services providing performance that endures to customers worldwide.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from either historical or anticipated results, depending on a variety of factors. Potential factors that could impact results include the general economic conditions in different countries around the world, fluctuations in global equity and fixed income markets, exchange rates, rating agency actions, pension funding, changes in commercial property and casualty markets and commercial premium rates, the competitive environment, the actual costs of resolution of contingent liabilities and other loss contingencies, the heightened level of potential errors and omissions liability arising from placements of complex policies and sophisticated reinsurance arrangements in an insurance market in which insurer reserves are under pressure, and the timing and resolution of related insurance and reinsurance issues relating to the events of September 11, 2001.

Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.