MTD Parts

MTD Products is an American manufacturer of outdoor power equipment for the mass market. Headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, the company began in 1932 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. Prior to Stanley Black & Decker's acquisition in December 2021, MTD Products was a majority family-owned, private company. It originated as a tool and die maker (Modern Tool and Die Company). MTD's main competitors are Stihl, Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, John Deere and Husqvarna.

MTD Parts

Over the years, MTD acquired the Troy-Bilt, Bolens, Cub Cadet, Craftsman (owned by its minority partner), and Yard-Man brands and/or companies. MTD craftsman mowers utilize the Sears "247" model prefix.



History

Theo Moll, Emil Jochum and Erwin Gerhard formed a partnership to purchase the assets of Modern Tool and Die Company located on Power Avenue in Cleveland. The initial capital investment was $4500. MTD's first products were perforating dies and a rolling machine for making window channels for Standard Products. MTD employed 12 employees in 1933. By 1934 there were 60 employees.

1936 - The company produced its first automotive stampings products, grilles for Graham-Paige automobiles.

1952 -  The controlling interest in Midwest Industries Inc. was purchased. With this MTD began to manufacture pedal bikes, velocipedes, kiddie cars and playground equipment.

1954 - Entered the garden equipment industry with its introduction of a line of wheelbarrows.

1958 - Entered the lawn and garden power equipment industry with the production of an 18" power rotary mower.

1959 - Began manufacturing self-propelled lawn mowers, garden tractors and other power equipment.

1962 - Purchased Sehl Engineering Ltd. of Canada which would later become MTD Products, Ltd. and then MTD Canada.

1966 - Purchased Industrial Plastics Company in Cleveland.

1967 - MTD started to manufacture bicycles.

1968 - Started snow blower production. At the same time Yard-Man buys George Garden Tools.

1975 - Purchased the Yard-Man name from Montgomery Ward.

1980 - MTD built its 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2) manufacturing plant in Brownsville, Tennessee (now defunct).

1981 - Cub Cadet product line was acquired from International Harvester, and the White Outdoor Products Company was acquired from the old White Motor Company.

1985 - MTD Product's Martin, Tennessee plant began operation, and Arnold Corporation was acquired.

1986 - Aircap Industries in Tupelo, Mississippi was acquired.

1994 - MTD built the Modern Transmission Development Company plant in Leitchfield, Kentucky.

1996 - Entered a joint venture with Lesco created Commercial Turf Products.

2000 - A Hungarian manufacturing facility was opened with expanded capacity for electrical products. MTD acquired Ryobi Limited's North America outdoor products business, giving them the capacity to produce 1.5 million engines and related hand-held garden products.

2001 - Purchased Garden Way including the Troy-Bilt and Bolens brands.

2003 - MTD's Ryobi Outdoor Power equipment division ceased manufacturing products under the Ryobi brand name and sold the rights to the use of the Ryobi brand name for the manufacture and sale of outdoor products to Ryobi Tools/TTI

2006 - MTD began building lawn equipment under the fmc brand for sale in Europe.

2007 - MTD began building consumer level lawn and garden tractors for its otherwise competitor, Toro.

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

2009 - Acquired the brand Remington Chainsaws from Desa International.

2010 - MTD (Australia) acquired the brand Rover Mowers from GWA International Limited.

2012 - Began building Murray brand products which was acquired by Briggs & Stratton Motors in 2005.

2017 - Acquired Robomow, a.k.a. "Friendly Robotics".

2018 - New Britain, Conn. based power tool maker Stanley Black & Decker announced that it had an agreement to acquire a 20% stake in outdoor power equipment maker MTD Products for $234 million. The transaction was expected to closed in 2019. In addition, Stanley Black & Decker had the option to acquire the remaining 80% of MTD starting July 1, 2021, which it did on August 17, 2021. Furthermore, with the acquisition of Craftsman by Stanley Black & Decker, the brand's products are now produced by MTD through this partnership.


Additional information and source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTD_Holdings