Who is The Toro Company? – A Brief History
The History of a 100 Year Old Professional Landscape Company
The Bull Tractor Company of Minneapolis, MN, sold more farm tractors than any other brand but had trouble finding a reliable source of engines. The Toro Motor Company was founded on July 10, 1914 to answer the call and build tractor engines for The Bull Tractor Company. After several years of this joint-venture, Toro was approached by the Minikahda Club in Minnesota to create a motorized fairway mower. They created a tractor that had five reel mowers attached to the front. This innovation started the motorized golf course equipment line that is a centerpiece of the company today.
For the next 25 years, Toro continues to develop its commercial turf maintenance and irrigation product offerings. In a move former Toro President David Lilly would later describe as “one of the best business decisions we ever made”, Toro acquired Whirlwind of Milwaukee, WI in 1948 who was a manufacturer of rotary lawn mowers. This purchase set up Toro to revolutionize the mower industry for both commercial and consumer products.
Toro Revolutionized Research and Development
Toro’s next goal was to set themselves further apart from the competition and master the craft of the machines they were making. Toro opened an expansive R&D facility in Bloomington, MN in 1952 to test new product concepts and conduct agronomic research. This facility was led by widely-known agronomist James R. Watson, PhD. Watson, along with a team of 25 scientists, conducted cutting-edge studies that significantly advanced turf care knowledge. This also revolutionized the industry. This investment in research and development in the turf care industry was the first of its kind in the world. This same work continues today in Toro’s new Dr. Jim Watson Center for Advanced Turf Management (CAAT) in Minnesota that fuels the latest innovations in Toro’s products.
Growing An Industry Leader
In 1974, Toro president David Lilly was determined to make the company a full-line lawn and garden manufacturer. From this came the “Guaranteed to Start” program on consumer walk-power mowers that covers any mower malfunction under warranty if the mower doesn’t start in two pulls. This highly successful program still carries on today.
But the company didn’t make it to where it is today with only walk-power mowers. Over the years they’ve acquired other brands to have the most complete line on the market. In 1989, Toro made its first acquisition of Lawn Boy and Wheel Horse. Several years later, Toro formed a new Landscape Contractor Business which would provide a comprehensive line of landscape contractor products. Shortly following in 1997, Toro acquired Exmark® Manufacturing, the popular commercial zero-turn mower producer.
The company has most recently made acquisitions of Boss® Snow Removal Products (2014) and The Charles Machine Works Company (2019) who is the owner of the Ditch Witch® brand. As the future looks towards battery powered outdoor products, Toro continues to invest in the R&D to make that vision a reality. Toro continues its mission to have the best technology and widest product offering in the industry, making it the most reliable choice for professionals and consumers alike.
The Toro Company Today
Today, The Toro Company is the largest American manufacturer of turf maintenance equipment for commercial and residential gardens, public parks, golf courses and sports fields. The company also specializes in snow removal equipment and irrigation systems. Toro takes great pride in helping consumers enrich the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land. Through a strong network of dealers and retailers in more than 125 countries, Toro offers a wide range of products to help homeowners, professional contractors, golf courses, groundskeepers, rental companies, governments and educational institutions – in addition to many leading sports venues and historic sites around the world. The rich history of Toro translates into industry leading products that set themselves apart from the competition.
The Official Turf Maintenance Supplier
Not only is Toro the trusted turf management and equipment provider of thousands of golf courses around the world, but also of all of these prestigious events that are on television for millions of people to see. From the Super Bowl, to Walt Disney World Resorts, to the Olympics, Toro is a name that is trusted on the biggest stages to be the best in the industry.
You can view the full video on the history of Toro below: