MTD Products

Infobox_Company
company_name = MTD Products Inc.
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = For a growing world.
foundation = 1932
location = Cleveland, OH, USA
key_people = Curtis E. Moll, Chairman/CEO
num_employees = 6,800 (2006)
industry = Lawn maintenance
products = Consumer and Commercial Lawn equipment
revenue = $1.190 billion USD (2006) [Citation | year = Hoovers | title = MTD Products Inc. | format = PDF | url=http://www.hoovers.com/mtd-products/--ID__41265--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml]
net_income =
homepage = [http://www.mtdproducts.com/corporate/index.jsp MTD Products Inc.]

MTD Products (Modern Tool and Die Company), of Cleveland, Ohio, USA began in 1932, and is a family-owned, private company. They began as tool and die makers, and now are manufacturers of outdoor power equipment.

History

Theo Moll, Emil Jochum and Erwin Gerhard formed a partnership to purchase the assets ofModern Tool and Die Company located on Power Avenue in Cleveland. The initial capitol investment was $4500 and the company’s end product was tools and dies.

MTD’s first products were perforating dies and a rolling machine for making window channels for Standard Products. MTD employed 12 employees in 1933 and by 1934 the head count was 60 employees.

In 1936 the company produces its first automotive stampings products, grilles for Graham-Paige automobiles.

In 1952 the controlling interest in "Midwest Industries Inc."' is purchased. With this MTD begins to manufacture pedal bikes, velocipedes, kiddie cars and playground equipment.

In 1954 MTD enters the garden equipment industry with introduction of a line of wheelbarrows.

In 1958 MTD enters the lawn & garden power equipment industry with the production of an 18” power rotary mower.

In 1959 MTD takes a giant step into future growth when they begin the manufacturing of self-propelled lawn mowers, garden tractors and other power equipment.

In 1962 MTD Purchases Sehl Engineering Ltd. of Canada, this later became MTD Products, Ltd. (today’s MTD Canada).

In 1966 MTD purchases Industrial Plastics Company in Cleveland.

In 1968 MTD starts snow thrower production.

In 1975 MTD purchases Yard-Man name from Montgomery Ward.

In 1980 MTD Builds 160,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Brownsville, Tennessee.

In 1981 the Cub Cadet Product line is acquired from International Harvester, and the White Outdoor Products Company is acquired from old White Motor Company.

In 1985 Martin, Tennessee Plant begins operation, and Arnold Corporation is acquired.

In 1986 Aircap Industries in Tupelo, Mississippi is acquired.

In 1990 Customer Service call center is established

In 1994 MTD builds the Modern Transmission Development Company plant in Leitchfield, Kentucky.

In 1996 Joint venture with Lesco creates Commercial Turf Products.

In 2000 Opening of a Hungarian manufacturing facility with expanded capacity for electrical products and acquired Ryobi giving them the capacity to produce 1.5 million engines and related hand-held products.

In 2001 MTD acquired Garden Way including the Troy-Bilt and Bolens brands.

2006 - Began building lawn equipment under the Massey Ferguson brand for sale in Europe. [ [http://www.mtdfrance.fr/ MTD France - tondeuse, autoportée, matériel d'entretien de jardin ] ]

2007 - Began building the low-end lawn & garden tractors for Toro.

2008 - Began having a third-party company (located in China) manufacture a new line of engines for the Craftsman 2008 line of Snowthrowers. They are no longer building them with Tecumseh engines.

Brands Owned

* Bolens [http://www.bolens.com/ website]
* Columbia [http://www.columbia-canada.com/ website]
* Cub Cadet [http://www.cubcadet.com/ website]
** Cub Cadet Commercial
** Cub Cadet Yanmar (joint with Yanmar) [http://www.cubcadetyanmar.com/ website]
* Farm King
* GardenWay
* Gold Series
* Gutbrod [http://www.rasenmaeher-gutbrod.de/ website]
** Gutbrod-Kehrer
* Lawnflite
* Mastercut
* Mow Master
** Mow Master Mastercut
* MTD [http://www.mtdproducts.com/ website]
** MTD Black Edition
** MTD Gold [http://www.mtdgold.ca/ website]
** MTD Mowmaster
** MTD Platinum Pro
** MTD Platinum SD
** MTD Pro [http://www.mtdpro.ca/ website]
** MTD Super
** MTD Taral
** MTD Tradesman
** MTD Turbomax
** MTD 2000 Elite
* Novotrac
* Rasentrac
* Ryobi (sold at Costco)) [http://www.ryobioutdoor.com/ website]
* Troy-Bilt [http://www.troy-bilt.com/ website]
* Ventzki
* Ventzki MTD
* White Outdoor [http://www.whiteoutdoor.com/ website]
* Yard Machines [http://www.yardmachines.com/ website]
* Yard-Man [http://www.yardman.com/ website]
** Yard-Man Elite
** Yard-Man Select
* YardWorks

Private Label Brands Produced

MTD currently builds or has built various other brands and store-brand Lawn & Garden tractors over the years, including:

References

External links

* [http://www.mtdproducts.com MTD website]
* [http://montana20021.tripod.com/ Various MTD-built Lawn & Garden Tractors]