MTD – Milestones in Company History

1932 – The Modern Tool and Die Company – in short MTD – is born in the USA. The company is founded by the German immigrants and engineers Theo Moll, Emil Jochum and Erwin Gerhard.

1933 – MTD grows and buys its own die cutting tools and a rolling machine. The company starts the production of complete window constructions.

1936 – MTD produces its first radiator grill for the automobile industry.

1942 – During the Second World War MTD carries out tool and die work for large companies such as Goodyear.

1952 – MTD starts the production of bicycles and toys.

1954 – MTD produces garden equipment for the first time. The production of the first wheelbarrow lays the cornerstone for MTD's future.

1958 – MTD produces its first rotary lawn mower. This sets the course for specialization in the sector “motorized garden equipment”.

1970 – Back to the roots: with the take-over of the Ventzki GmbH in Germany, MTD returns to the European market.

1975 – MTD takes over Yard-Man in the USA.

1976 – MTD introduces the first lawn tractors with rear discharge to the European market under the brand name Ventzki.

1991 – 1997 – MTD establishes branches in France, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and Denmark. The European central office finds its home in Saarbrücken-Bübingen with the take-over of the well-established company GUTBROD, a producer of motorized garden equipment.

1996 – Tractor production begins in Saarbrücken. Today, almost all of the lawn tractors from MTD are “made in Germany”.

1998 – The central warehouse in Valmont, France is established.

2000 – MTD opens a factory in Hungary for the production of lawn mowers and significantly increases production capacity in Germany. In the same year, MTD begins production of 2 and 4-stroke engines, brushcutters and trimmers by taking over Ryobi North America.

2001 – Further branches in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland are established.

2002 – As a new branch, MTD Poland expands the distribution network in Eastern Europe.

2007 – In its 75th year, MTD once again, expands its production location in Saarbrücken.