The Toro Company

The Toro Company is an American manufacturer headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, that designs, manufactures, and markets equipment and systems for turf maintenance, landscape care, irrigation, snow and ice management, underground construction, and related outdoor work. Its customers include homeowners, landscape contractors, golf-course operators, sports-field managers, municipalities, agricultural users, utility contractors, and other commercial organizations. The company operates through the Toro master brand and a portfolio of specialist brands, including BOSS Snowplow, Ditch Witch, Exmark, Hayter, Irritrol, Lawn-Boy, Perrot, Subsite, American Augers, HammerHead, Ventrac, and others. The business began in 1914 as the Toro Motor Company, producing tractor engines for The Bull Tractor Company. During the First World War it also manufactured steam engines for wartime requirements. In 1920, as the company redirected its activities toward farm equipment, it adopted the name Toro Manufacturing Company. Toro later built a long-term position in professional grounds care. One early innovation was a fairway mower assembled from multiple mower units mounted behind a Toro tractor, an arrangement associated with the development of mechanical golf-course maintenance equipment. By 1928 the company was shipping golf-course products internationally, and in 1935 it introduced a power mower intended for homeowners. The company’s product scope broadened after the Second World War. Toro acquired Whirlwind Corporation in 1948 and introduced a grass-bagging system for rotary mowers. It developed its first snowblower in 1951 and entered irrigation in 1962 through the purchase of an irrigation-equipment manufacturer. These moves established the core categories that continue to define the Toro brand: turf equipment, residential and commercial outdoor power equipment, snow and ice equipment, and water-management systems. From the 1980s onward, acquisitions expanded Toro’s reach across lawn and garden, professional turf care, irrigation, snow management, and underground construction. The company acquired the Wheel Horse Products Division of American Motors Corporation in 1986 and Lawn-Boy in 1989. During the 1990s, under chief executive Kendrick Melrose, Toro shifted its strategic emphasis toward professional markets such as golf courses, sports fields, municipal parks, and commercial properties. It acquired James Hardie Irrigation in 1996 and Exmark Manufacturing in 1997, followed by Hayter, Rain Master Irrigation Systems, and Turf Guard Wireless Monitoring Technology in the 2000s. Toro later added TYCROP’s turf-equipment product line, USPraxis, and BOSS Products. This professional-market strategy changed the company’s sales mix. The reference history reports that professional markets represented nearly 70 percent of sales in 2007, compared with roughly one-third in 1990. In the same period, Toro outsourced manufacture of lower-end lawn and garden tractors for Home Depot, discontinued Wheel Horse models, and retired the Wheel Horse name. The resulting portfolio placed greater weight on specialized equipment and commercial users rather than only on consumer lawn products. Toro’s expansion into underground construction became particularly significant with its 2019 agreement to acquire The Charles Machine Works for $700 million. The transaction brought Ditch Witch and associated underground-construction brands into Toro’s portfolio, adding horizontal directional drilling, trenching, vacuum excavation, utility locating, pipeline rehabilitation, and related technologies. Today, The Toro Company combines consumer-facing lawn and snow products with professional equipment and infrastructure systems, serving both established outdoor-maintenance markets and specialized construction applications.

The Toro Company was established in 1914 as the Toro Motor Company to manufacture tractor engines for The Bull Tractor Company. During the First World War, it produced steam engines in support of wartime manufacturing. In 1920, after shifting its emphasis toward farm equipment, the business changed its name to Toro Manufacturing Company. Toro gradually developed expertise in mechanized grounds maintenance. It is associated with an early mechanical golf-course maintenance machine consisting of several fairway mowers mounted behind a Toro tractor. The company was shipping golf-course maintenance products internationally by 1928 and introduced a homeowner power mower in 1935. During the 1940s, it suspended commercial-product production to concentrate on equipment for the Second World War, while also planning manufacturing capacity for the postwar market. In 1948, Toro acquired Whirlwind Corporation and introduced a bagging system for rotary mowers. It produced its first snowblower in 1951 and became the first lawn-and-garden manufacturer identified in the reference material as advertising on television, in 1956. The company entered underground irrigation in 1962 through the acquisition of an irrigation-equipment manufacturer. David M. Lilly served as chairman from 1968 until 1976, when President Gerald Ford appointed him to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. A major phase of portfolio expansion began in the 1980s. Toro acquired the Wheel Horse Products Division of American Motors Corporation in 1986, obtaining lawn and garden tractors and riding mowers. It purchased Lawn-Boy from Outboard Marine Corporation in 1989. Products were marketed under Toro, Wheel Horse, and Toro Wheel Horse names for a period. During the 1990s, chief executive Kendrick Melrose redirected the company toward professional customers, including golf courses, sports fields, municipal parks, and commercial properties. Toro acquired James Hardie Irrigation in 1996 and Exmark Manufacturing in 1997. It subsequently added Hayter in 2005, Rain Master Irrigation Systems and Turf Guard Wireless Monitoring Technology in 2007, TYCROP's turf-equipment product line in 2009, and USPraxis in 2010. By 2007, professional markets accounted for almost 70 percent of sales according to the cited history, compared with approximately one-third in 1990. The company reduced its direct exposure to lower-end lawn and garden tractors in 2007 by outsourcing their manufacture to MTD Products for sale through Home Depot. Toro also discontinued Wheel Horse models and retired the Wheel Horse name. In 2014, it acquired BOSS Products, a snowplow and snow-removal equipment company. The portfolio subsequently covered turf care, irrigation, snow and ice management, residential outdoor power equipment, and specialized commercial equipment. On February 15, 2019, Toro announced an agreement to acquire The Charles Machine Works for $700 million. The Charles Machine Works was the parent of Ditch Witch, MTI Equipment, and other brands serving underground construction. The addition broadened Toro into horizontal directional drilling, trenching, vacuum excavation, utility guidance, fluid systems, and trenchless infrastructure work. The modern company therefore combines the original Toro outdoor-equipment identity with a wider group of professional and infrastructure-oriented brands.

1. 2019Agreement to acquire The Charles Machine Works

   Toro announces a $700 million agreement to acquire The Charles Machine Works and its underground-construction brands.

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2. 2014BOSS Products acquisition

   Toro purchases BOSS Products, expanding its snowplow and snow-removal equipment business.

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3. 2007Wheel Horse name retired

   Toro discontinues Wheel Horse models and retires the brand name while outsourcing lower-end tractor production.

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4. 2005Hayter acquisition

   Toro acquires Hayter, a United Kingdom lawn-care equipment manufacturer.

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5. 1997Exmark acquisition

   Toro acquires Exmark Manufacturing, strengthening its professional turf-care and commercial mower business.

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6. 1996James Hardie Irrigation acquisition

   The acquisition expands Toro's irrigation portfolio.

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7. 1989Lawn-Boy acquisition

   Toro purchases Lawn-Boy from Outboard Marine Corporation.

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8. 1986Wheel Horse acquisition

   Toro acquires the Wheel Horse Products Division of American Motors Corporation.

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9. 1962Entry into underground irrigation

   Toro enters the underground irrigation business through an acquisition.

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10. 1951First Toro snowblower

    The company develops its first snowblower, establishing an enduring snow-equipment category.

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11. 1948Whirlwind acquisition and mower bagging system

    Toro acquires Whirlwind Corporation and introduces a bagging system for rotary mowers.

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12. 1935First homeowner power mower

    Toro releases its first power mower designed for residential users.

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13. 1928International golf-course product shipments begin

    Toro begins shipping golf-course maintenance products to markets outside the United States.

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14. 1920Name changes to Toro Manufacturing Company

    The business changes its name as it refocuses on farm equipment manufacturing.

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15. 1914Toro Motor Company is established

    The company is founded to build tractor engines for The Bull Tractor Company.

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A professional-oriented, technology-driven outdoor-equipment and water-management company with consumer products alongside specialized commercial, municipal, agricultural, turf-care, snow-management, and underground-construction systems.

• ToroTurf, outdoor power, irrigation, and snow equipment

  The core Toro brand covers residential and professional lawn mowers, turf-maintenance machinery, snowblowers, irrigation products, golf-course and sports-field equipment, landscape tools, and specialty outdoor equipment. It serves homeowners as well as golf, municipal, commercial-property, agricultural, and sports-field customers.

• BOSS SnowplowSnow and ice management

  BOSS supplies snowplows for trucks, utility vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles, together with salt and sand spreaders, liquid de-icing equipment, sidewalk vehicles, and attachments. The line is aimed primarily at professional snow and ice contractors and commercial operators.

• Ditch WitchUnderground construction

  Ditch Witch provides equipment for underground utility construction, including horizontal directional drills, trenchers, vibratory plows, vacuum excavators, mini-skid steers, and fluid systems. The brand became part of Toro's portfolio through the 2019 Charles Machine Works transaction.

• ExmarkCommercial turf equipment

  Exmark specializes in professional turf-care equipment, particularly zero-turn, stand-on, and walk-behind mowers. Its products are positioned for landscape professionals, grounds crews, and other users requiring high-capacity commercial mowing equipment.

• HayterLawn-care equipment

  Hayter is a British lawn-care equipment brand serving homeowners and professional users, adding a United Kingdom-based product and market presence to Toro's lawn-maintenance portfolio.

• Irritrol SystemsIrrigation

  Irritrol Systems supplies professional irrigation products for residential and commercial applications, including systems used to control and distribute water across landscaped areas.

• Lawn-BoyResidential lawn mowers1989

  Lawn-Boy is a residential lawn-mower brand acquired by Toro in 1989. It extends the company's presence in consumer lawn care and complements Toro's broader homeowner equipment range.

• PerrotIrrigation

  Perrot, based in Germany, manufactures irrigation products for sports fields, agricultural fields, and industrial applications.

• American AugersUnderground construction

  American Augers supplies large horizontal directional drills, pumps, and fluid-cleaning systems for underground construction and utility work.

• SubsiteUtility guidance and locating

  Subsite provides guidance equipment, utility locators, and inspection systems used by underground-construction professionals to locate and manage buried infrastructure.

• HammerHead TrenchlessTrenchless infrastructure

  HammerHead Trenchless offers equipment and robotic solutions for inspecting, rehabilitating, and replacing water, wastewater, and stormwater pipelines.

• VentracTurf, landscape, and snow equipment

  Ventrac manufactures articulating turf, landscape, and snow and ice management equipment for grounds crews, landscape contractors, golf facilities, municipalities, and rural-acreage operators.

• 2019Agreement to acquire The Charles Machine WorksM&A

  Toro sought to broaden its activities beyond turf, irrigation, and outdoor power equipment into underground utility construction and related infrastructure services.

  What changed. Toro announced an agreement to acquire privately held The Charles Machine Works, the parent company of Ditch Witch, MTI Equipment, and other brands, for $700 million.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded Toro's portfolio into directional drilling, trenching, vacuum excavation, utility locating, fluid systems, and trenchless construction.

  Acquisition value. $700 million announced transaction value (2019 announcement)

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• 2007Outsourcing of lower-end lawn and garden tractorsStrategy

  Toro adjusted its lawn-and-garden portfolio as its business became more concentrated in professional markets.

  What changed. The company outsourced lower-end lawn and garden tractor production to MTD Products for sale through Home Depot and discontinued Wheel Horse models.

  Aftermath. The Wheel Horse brand name was retired, while Toro continued expanding its professional and specialized equipment portfolio.

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• 1990Shift toward professional marketsStrategy

  Toro's strategy under chief executive Kendrick Melrose increasingly emphasized golf courses, sports fields, municipal parks, and commercial properties rather than relying primarily on consumer lawn and garden equipment.

  What changed. The company expanded professional product categories through acquisitions and portfolio development, including irrigation and commercial turf equipment.

  Aftermath. The cited history states that professional markets grew to almost 70 percent of sales by 2007, compared with approximately one-third in 1990.

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• 2019The Toro Company agrees to acquire The Charles Machine Works

  Toro announced an agreement to acquire privately held The Charles Machine Works for $700 million. The transaction added Ditch Witch and other underground-construction equipment businesses to Toro's portfolio.

  M&A
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1. The Toro Company
2. The Toro Company official website