Ariens Acquires National Mower

Ariens recently started expanding its product line beyond residential landscaping when it bought Locke Turf Co., a manufacturer of reel mowers for the golf and turf industries. That product line extended further last month when Ariens acquired National Mower, a manufacturer of specialty mowers designed for golf course and sports turf maintenance.

Talk of the acquisition started in mid-July, says Stan Kinkead, a principal at National Mower who has become divisional vice president – turf products of National Mower. National Mower, which is the smallest mower manufacturer in the golf turf market, needed to link with a larger company to be able to grow.

“We couldn’t continue the way we were being as small as we were,” Kinkead says. “They’ve got a lot more horsepower than we thought we’d have. They’ve got purchasing power, strong manufacturing, and they’re a very good marketing company.”

Ariens, meanwhile, looked to expand its product line and compete in a niche market.

“The (National Mower) machines are unique to a specific application,” says Mike Thuecks, v.p. of sales and marketing at Ariens, which is based in Brillion, Wis. “The golf course market is very tight group. If we had an interest in pursuing the market, it was going to take some time.”

While Ariens got its foot in the door when it acquired Locke, the purchase of National Mower puts the company into an even more specialized golf market.

National Mower, based in St. Paul, Minn., will continue to manufacture its mowers there. National will keep its brand and its distribution model, which is different than Ariens’.

“Ariens sells through a lot of smaller dealers,” Kinkead says. “National is going after golf turf market, and our products are sold through golf turf distribution.”

Thuecks says the two companies’ distribution models will work well together.

“We saw National and looked at their distribution, and they have some solid distributor relationships in existence already,” he says.

Kinkead will initially work with the same small sales staff that has been employed at National. Thuecks says the sales force will probably grow, and there could be some cross-selling between the two brands.

Kinkead says National and Ariens are a good fit because both are family owned. He looks forward to learning and following Ariens’ lean management style.

“Once you get into lean, it’s all about controlling inventory,” he says. “Once you get this thing right, it’s a plus-plus for the manufacturer and the dealer.”