MTD Holdings

MTD Products Inc.

File:MTD Products logo.svg
File:MTD Products.jpg Corporate headquarters located in Valley City, Ohio
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Lawn care Tree care Landscape maintenance
Founded	1932
Headquarters	Valley City, Ohio, U.S.
Key people	Rob Moll, Chief Executive Officer
Products	Consumer and Commercial Lawn machinery Groundskeeping equipment
Revenue	$1.961 billion USD (2015)
Number of employees	6,800 (as of 2006)
Parent	Stanley Black & Decker
Divisions	Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Remington, Robomow, Rover, Wolf-Garten, Columbia, Yard Machines, Bolens
Website	MTD Parts

Modern Tool & Die (MTD Products) is a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in outdoor power equipment designed for the broad consumer market. Established in 1932 and headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, it operates as a fully owned subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. Prior to its acquisition by Stanley Black & Decker in December 2021, MTD was predominantly a family-controlled private enterprise. Initially founded as a tool and die company, MTD competes with industry leaders such as Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, Husqvarna Group, John Deere, Stiga, Stihl, and The Toro Company.

MTD has grown substantially through strategic acquisitions of notable brands including Troy-Bilt, Bolens, Cub Cadet, Craftsman (in collaboration with Sears), and Yard-Man. The Craftsman lawn mowers manufactured by MTD are identified by Sears with the "247" model number prefix.

MTD bicycles

Beginning in 1966, MTD manufactured muscle bikes distributed nationwide throughout the United States. Among these was the 1969 MTD SS5 Chopper, developed jointly with Columbia. Although the MTD bicycle brand eventually declined, Columbia maintained its status as a leading manufacturer within the high-rise bicycle segment.

Timeline

Founded in 1932 by Theo Moll, Emil Jochum, and Erwin Gerhard with an initial capital of $4,500, MTD commenced operations producing perforating dies and rolling machines. By 1934, the workforce expanded from 12 to 60 employees.

In 1936, the company ventured into automotive parts manufacturing by producing grilles for Graham-Paige automobiles. The 1950s saw diversification into pedal bicycles and playground apparatus following the acquisition of Midwest Industries Inc., along with the introduction of garden products such as wheelbarrows (1954) and power rotary mowers (1958). Self-propelled lawn mowers and garden tractors were launched in 1959.

Growth proceeded through multiple acquisitions: Sehl Engineering Ltd. (Canada) in 1962; Industrial Plastics Company in 1966; entry into snow thrower production in 1968; and acquisition of George Garden Tools via Yard-Man. The Yard-Man brand was completely acquired from Montgomery Ward in 1975.

MTD invested significantly in manufacturing infrastructure including facilities in Brownsville, Tennessee (1980), Martin Tennessee (1985), and Leitchfield Kentucky for transmission production (1994). Key acquisitions comprised Cub Cadet from International Harvester (1981), White Outdoor Products (1981), Arnold Corporation (1985), Aircap Industries (1986), and Ryobi Limited's North American outdoor product division (2000), boosting engine manufacturing capacity to approximately 1.5 million units annually.

In 2001, Garden Way was acquired along with its Troy-Bilt and Bolens brands. The rights to Ryobi-branded outdoor products were divested in 2003. European market expansion included launching the fmc brand lawn equipment in 2006 and beginning production of entry-level tractors for competitor Toro starting in 2007.

Outsourcing efforts began with third-party engine manufacturing for Craftsman snow throwers in 2008. Subsequent acquisitions encompassed Remington Chainsaws (2009), Rover Mowers based in Australia (2010), and robotic mower manufacturer Robomow ("Friendly Robotics") in 2017.

In September 2018, Stanley Black & Decker purchased a 20% ownership stake in MTD for $234 million, securing an option to acquire the remaining shares by July 2021. The complete acquisition was finalized on August 17, 2021. Following this transaction and Stanley Black & Decker’s procurement of Craftsman tools, MTD now produces Craftsman-branded outdoor power equipment under this partnership.

External links

https://mtd-en.com/ - Official Website

• MTD Parts — Customer Support Portal