Fifty years ago today, The Toro Company purchased a Riverside,
California-based company, called Moist O’Matic, which manufactured
plastic irrigation products. That purchase proved a wise investment and
gave Toro its start in the underground irrigation business. Today, Toro
is one of the leading manufacturers of irrigation products around the
world.
It all started in 1962 when Moist O’Matic had made revolutionary
advancements in the use of plastics and new designs to make
water-efficient sprinklers, valves, and control systems. Toro’s 4th
president, David Lilly, initiated the purchase of Moist O’Matic and
hired John Singleton, a charismatic irrigation contractor he had met on
a golf course, to pioneer Toro’s entry into golf irrigation. Initially,
John made little progress but, fortunately, in 1969, John and the Toro
irrigation team made several breakthroughs with golf superintendents,
ultimately convincing them that plastic sprinkler systems were superior
to traditional brass and iron systems. A mere three years later, Lilly
could state in the annual report that Toro had become “the most widely
used automatic equipment in golf course irrigation.”
Throughout the next several decades, The Toro Company made multiple
acquisitions to enter new markets and product categories, and bolster
its position in the industry. This included:
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Hardie® Irrigation (1996)
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EICON Industrial Controls (2001)
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R&D Engineering, a leading manufacturing of rain sensor devices (2003)
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Rain Master® (2007)
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Turf Guard® (2008)
Today, The Toro Company owns over 225 irrigation patents and
manufactures a complete line of irrigation solutions including sprays,
nozzles, rotors, valves, controllers, sensors, software, services and
more. Through its distribution network, Toro delivers those solutions to
homeowners, sports fields, municipalities, golf courses and agricultural
growers around the world. The Toro irrigation business is still
headquartered in Riverside, California, and remains dedicated to the
same core values that made it thrive years ago—high quality,
customer-valued innovation and relationships.
As Phil Burkart, vice president and general manager for Toro’s
Irrigation Business, said, “Our 50 years in irrigation is something to
be very proud of. We are withstanding the test of time as well as
pushing ourselves daily to be solution providers through innovation,
constantly challenging ourselves to eliminate waste and focus on
quality, while growing and enhancing our customer relationships.”
Though many things have changed over the last five decades, one thing
has remained the same – Toro’s unending passion to provide customers
with high quality, innovative solutions. That’s why, even during
economically uncertain times, Toro has continued to invest in a
portfolio of Precision™ Irrigation products that upgrade existing
systems to the latest, water-saving technology available.
As Toro looks to the next 50 years, customers can continue to count on
Toro to be there, helping them care for their landscapes when they want,
the way they want, better than anyone else. As Toro’s first president,
John Samuel Clapper, was fond of saying, ““The strength of any
institution rests solely in the good will of the people with whom they
deal. You can replace anything except the good will of your customers.”
To take advantage of special offers in celebration of Toro’s 50 years in
irrigation go to www.torocontractor.com.
For more information about The Toro Company and its history, visit www.thetorocompany.com.
For more information on Toro’s turf and landscape maintenance and
irrigation solutions, visit www.toro.com.
About The Toro Company
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a
leading worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment,
and irrigation solutions. With sales of nearly $1.9 billion in fiscal
2011, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 90 countries through
its reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf
expertise. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence
around a number of strong brands to help customers care for golf
courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential
properties, and agricultural fields. More information is available at www.toro.com.
