Toro (company)

Infobox_Company
company_name = The Toro Company
company_
company_type = Public (NYSE: [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=TTC TTC] )
company_slogan = Count on it.
foundation = 1914
location = Bloomington, Minnesota
key_people = Michael J. Hoffman, President and CEO, Chairman of the Board
num_employees = 5,300 (full-time) [Employees, [http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=ttc Number of Employees] ]
industry = Turf maintenance
products = Professional and residential turf maintenance equipment and irrigation systems
revenue = profitUS$1.877 Billion (2007)
homepage = [http://www.thetorocompany.com/ www.thetorocompany.com]

Based in Bloomington, Minnesota, The Toro Company (nyse|TTC) is an American manufacturer of turf maintenance equipment (lawnmowers) and water-saving irrigation systems for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential lawns, and agricultural fields.

History

Founded as the Toro Motor Company in 1914 [http://www.thetorocompany.com/companyinfo/history_1910s.html The Toro Company History, History 1910-1919] ] , it serves professionals such as landscape contractors, golf course superintendents, and sports fields and grounds managers, as well as individual homeowners.

In 1986, Toro acquired the Wheel Horse Products Division of American Motors (AMC). [http://www.thetorocompany.com/companyinfo/history_1980s.html The Toro Company, History 1980-1989] , retrieved on 2008-06-27.] Wheel Horse manufactured a wide range of lawn and garden tractors, as well as riding lawn mowers. The division was spun-off from AMC as the automaker focused company strategy on vehicles. Lawn and garden tractors were then marketed under the Toro, Wheel Horse, as well as the Toro Wheel Horse names. Acquisitions continued with the purchase of Lawn-Boy in 1989, James Hardie Irrigation in 1996, Exmark Manufacturing in 1997, Hayter Ltd. in 2005, and Rain Master Irrigation Systems and Turf Guard Wireless Monitoring Technology in 2007.

In the 1990s, then CEO Kendrick Melrose changed the company’s strategy. Shifting its focus to 'professional maintenance markets' - such as golf courses, sports fields, municipal parks, and commercial properties - yielded higher margins and offered more protection from the uncertainty of weather and economic conditions than the highly competitive residential market segments. In 2007, almost 70 percent of the company's sales came from professional markets, versus one-third back in 1990.

In 2007, the low-end lawn and garden tractor products were outsourced to be manufactured by MTD and sold at Home Depot stores. [ [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=62289&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=801214& The Toro Company, Press Release, 01/05/2006] , retrieved on 2008-06-27.]

Brands

The company's products are marketed under several brands:
*Toro – professional and consumer mowers, irrigation systems, compact utility equipment, snowblowers, and handheld trimmers and leaf blowers
*Exmark – commercial mowers
*Lawn-Boy – consumer mowers
*Irritrol Systems – irrigation systems for residential and commercial landscapes
*Lawn Genie – consumer irrigation
*Pope (Australia) – garden maintenance solutions
*Hayter (United Kingdom) – consumer and professional mowers

References

External links

* [http://www.thetorocompany.com/ The Toro Company]
* [http://www.toro.com/ Toro]
* [http://www.toroag.com/ Toro Micro-Irrigation]
* [http://www.toro.com.au/ Toro Australia & Pope]
* [http://www.toro.ca/ Toro Canada/English]
* [http://www.toro.co.uk/ Toro UK]
* [http://www.lawn-boy.com/ Lawn-Boy]
* [http://www.exmark.com/ eXmark]
* [http://www.irritrol.com/ Irritrol]
* [http://www.hayter.co.uk/ Hayter]