Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment: 2004/2005 Market Outlook (With Long-Term Forecasts Through 2013)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I: EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

Analysis:

• Americans and Lawn Care. 1
• The Market 2
• Zero-Turn Radius Mowers. 3
• Prices 4
• Emissions. 4

SECTION II: THE OVERALL U.S. MARKET FOR LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT

Analysis:

• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales 5
• Seasonal Shipment Patterns 6
• Market Shares for Riding, Gasoline-Powered Mowers. 7
• Market Shares for Walk-Behind, Gasoline-Powered Mowers 7
• Market Shares for Handheld, Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers. 8

Tables:

• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales of Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment:
• Total Dollar Sales 9
• Dollar Sales, by Type 10
• Product Mix of Dollar Sales. 11
• Growth Rates. 12
• Monthly Shipment Percentages:
• Selected Types of Consumer Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment 13
• Selected Types of Commercial Equipment. 14
• Gasoline-Powered Chain Saws and Other Equipment 15
• Market Shares:
• Graph: Leading Riding, Gasoline-Powered Mowers. 16
• Leading Riding, Gasoline-Powered Mowers. 17
• Graph: Leading Walk-Behind, Gasoline-Powered Mowers 18
• Leading Walk-Behind, Gasoline-Powered Mowers 19
• Graph: Leading Handheld, Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers. 20
• Leading Handheld, Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers 21

SECTION III: THE U.S. MARKET FOR CONSUMER LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT

Analysis:

• Market Overview 22
• Riding Equipment 23
• Nonriding Equipment. 24
• Automatic Mowers. 25
• Snow Throwers. 26
• Edgers/Trimmers. 27
• Miscellaneous Equipment. 27

Tables:

• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales of Consumer Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment:
• Total Dollar Sales 29
• Dollar Sales, by Type 30
• Product Mix of Dollar Sales. 31
• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales of Consumer Riding Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment:
• Dollar Sales, by Type 32
• Unit Shipments, by Type. 34
• Average Prices, by Type 36
• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales of Consumer Nonriding Mowers:
• Dollar Sales, by Type 38
• Unit Shipments, by Type. 40
• Average Prices, by Type 42
• U.S. Manufacturers�fESales of Consumer Snow Throwers:
• Dollar Sales, by Type 44
• Unit Shipments, by Type. 46
• Average Prices, by Type 48
Leading U.S. Discount Stores. 187
• Monthly Sales Distribution in a Typical Year for Selected Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment 188

SECTION IX: PRICING TRENDS FOR LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT

Analysis:

• Prices for Materials and Components. 189
• Producer Prices for Consumer Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment 189
• Producer Prices for Commercial Equipment 190
• Retail Prices for Selected Lawn and Garden Products. 191
• Consumer Prices for Gardening and Lawn Care Services. 191

Tables:

• Producer Price Trends:
• Consumer Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment:
• Total. 193
• Nonriding vs. Riding. 194
• Nonriding Mowers, by Type 195
• Riding Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment, by Type 196
• Snow Throwers and Snowblowers, by Type. 197
• Other Nonriding Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment, by Type 198
• Commercial Turf and Grounds Mowing Equipment:
• Total. 199
• By Type. 200
• Commercial Turf and Grounds Care Equipment, Except Mowing 202
• Average Retail Prices for Selected Types of Lawn and Garden Equipment, by Brand. 203
• Consumer Price Trends for Gardening and Lawn Care Services 205

SECTION X: MEDIA OUTLAYS FOR LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT

Analysis:

• Media Outlays. 206
• Advertising to the Consumer Market. 207
• Trade Marketing. 208
• Leading Advertisers 209
• Deere & Company Teams Up With Discovery. 209
• The Scotts Company Boosts Overall Advertising 210

Tables:

• Graph: Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment. 212
• Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment. 213
• Graph: Distribution of Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment for the Consumer Market. 214
• Distribution of Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment for the Consumer Market 215
• Graph: Distribution of Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment for Dealers and Distributors 216
• Distribution of Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment for Dealers and Distributors. 217
• Top 10 Advertisers of Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment 218
• Top 10 Advertised Brands of Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment. 219
• Media Outlays for Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment, by Company and Brand. 220
• Advertising Agency Affiliations of Selected Manufacturers and Marketers of Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment 228

SECTION XI: STRUCTURE OF THE CONSUMER LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY

Analysis:

• Industry Sales. 232
• Payroll and Material Costs 232
• Outsourcing Remains a Major Issue 233
• Employment Trends. 233
• New Capital Expenditures 234
• Ending Inventories 234
• Plant Capacity Utilization Rates. 235
• Number of Facilities. 235

Explanation of Terms 237

Tables:

• The Consumer Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment Industry:
• Operating Structure. 243
• Gross Operating Margin. 244
• Value Added by Manufacture 245
• Vertical Integration Index 246
• Employment Structure 247
• Total Labor Costs. 248
• Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers 249
• Cost of Living Index for Production Workers 250
• Labor Productivity. 251
• Indexes of Real Labor Productivity 252
• New Capital Expenditures. 253
• Plant vs. Equipment Expenditures 254
• Ending Inventories. 255
• Plant Capacity Utilization Rates 256
• Number of Manufacturing Establishments:
• Total. 257
• By State. 258
• By Employment Size 260

The Plant Manager�fs Workbook:

• How to Use This Section. 261
• Gathering Your Data 262
• Developing Your Ratios. 263
• How Does Your Plant Stack Up 264

SECTION XII: COMPANY PROFILES

Introduction. 269

Tables:

• Financial Profile of Manufacturers of Lawn and Garden Tractors and Home Lawn and Garden Equipment:
• Total 270
• Sorted by Sales. 271
• Sorted by Assets. 272

Company Profiles:

• AB Electrolux:
• Overview 273
• Financial Performance. 273
• Lawn and Garden Equipment 274
• Financial Summary and Analysis 275
• Acorn Products, Inc.:
• Overview 276
• Financial Performance. 276
• Products. 277
• Facilities and Employees. 277
• AGCO Corporation:
• Overview 278
• Financial Performance. 278
• Products. 279
• Financial Summary and Analysis 280
• Alamo Group Inc.:
• Overview 281
• Financial Performance. 281
• Products. 282
• Facilities and Employees. 284
• Financial Summary and Analysis 285
• American Lawn Mower Co.:
• Overview 286
• Products. 286
• Ariens Corporation:
• Overview 287
• Products. 287
• The Black & Decker Corporation:
• Overview 289
• Financial Performance. 289
• History 290
• Lawn and Garden Equipment 291
• Facilities and Employees. 291
• Financial Summary and Analysis 292
• Blount International, Inc.:
• Overview 293
• Financial Performance. 293
• Products. 294
• Facilities and Employees. 294
• Financial Summary and Analysis 296
• Briggs & Stratton Corporation:
• Overview 297
• Financial Performance. 297
• History 298
• Engines 298
• Facilities and Employees. 299
• Financial Summary and Analysis 300
• Deere & Company:
• Overview 301
• Financial Performance. 301
• History 302
• Agricultural Equipment and Commercial and Consumer Equipment. 302
• Facilities and Employees. 303
• Financial Summary and Analysis 304
• Emak S.p.A.:
• Overview 305
• Financial Performance. 305
• Products. 306
• Financial Summary and Analysis 307
• Excel Industries Inc.:
• Overview 308
• Products. 308
• Fiat S.p.A.:
• Overview 310
• Financial Performance. 310
• History 311
• Financial Summary and Analysis 312
• Hall Manufacturing:
• Overview 313
• Products. 313
• Honda Motor Co., Ltd.:
• Overview 315
• Financial Performance. 315
• Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment. 316
• Financial Summary and Analysis 317
• Kohler Co.:
• Overview 318
• Engines 319
• Kubota Corporation:
• Overview 320
• Financial Performance. 320
• Tractors and Mowers 321
• Facilities and Employees. 321
• Financial Summary and Analysis 322
• LESCO, Inc.:
• Overview 323
• Financial Performance. 323
• Lawn, Garden, and Snow Equipment. 324
• Facilities and Employees. 324
• Financial Summary and Analysis 325
• Makita Corporation:
• Overview 326
• Financial Performance. 326
• Lawn and Garden Equipment 327
• Facilities and Employees. 327
• Financial Summary and Analysis 328
• McLane Manufacturing Inc.:
• Overview 329
• Products. 329
• MTD Products Inc.:
• Overview 331
• Products. 331
• Scag Power Equipment:
• Overview 333
• Products. 333
• The Scotts Company:
• Overview 335
• Financial Performance. 335
• Products. 336
• Facilities and Employees. 336
• Financial Summary and Analysis 337
• Simplicity Manufacturing, Inc.:
• Overview 338
• History 339
• Products. 339
• Tecumseh Products Company:
• Overview 341
• Financial Performance. 341
• Gasoline-Powered Engines and Power Train Components 342
• Financial Summary and Analysis 343
• Textron Inc.:
• Overview 344
• Financial Performance. 344
• Products. 345
• Financial Summary and Analysis 346
• The Toro Company:
• Overview 347
• Financial Performance. 347
• Products. 348
• Financial Summary and Analysis 349
• Walker Manufacturing Co.:
• Overview 350
• Products. 350

SECTION XIII: DIRECTORY OF SELECTED U.S. MANUFACTURERS OF LAWN, GARDEN, AND SNOW EQUIPMENT

Introduction. 351

Directory. 352