Simplicity Outdoor

Simplicity Manufacturing Company is a company based in Port Washington, Wisconsin that builds lawn and garden equipment under various brands. The company was originally founded by William J. Niederkorn in 1922, and started building riding garden tractors in 1939. Between 1941 and 1945, due to World War II, Simplicity Manufacturing temporarily halted

production of lawn and garden products, and manufactured electric fence controllers and external surface grinders to satisfy the War Production Board. Allis-Chalmers purchased the company in 1965, and Simplicity's management bought it back in 1983. Simplicity Manufacturing celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997.

Sometime after AGCO Corporation purchased Deutz-Allis from Deutz-Fahr and KHD, Simplicity took over building and selling the Deutz-Allis lawn equipment. The name was later changed to Agco-Allis, and then to AGCO to reflect the changes within the AGCO Corporation.

After AGCO purchased Massey Ferguson, Simplicity began building and selling the Massey Ferguson lawn equipment. Simplicity bought the Snapper company in 2002, though ironically, Snapper, previously built Massey Ferguson lawn tractors many years before.

Over the years, Simplicity has also built lawn & garden tractors for J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Viking (part of Stihl), Homelite Corporation and Rapid. Hinomoto/Toyosha built some of the larger compact tractors sold as Simplicity, Deutz-Allis and Allis-Chalmers.

• 1989, purchased the Middlesworth company of Greentown, Indiana, a manufacturer of zero-turn mowers
• 2000 Simplicity announced that it had agreed to purchase Ferris Industries
• 2000 purchased Giant-Vac
• 2002, purchased the Snapper company
• 2004, was purchased by Briggs & Stratton^[1]

References

External links

• Official website
• Fast Company: The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart

v t e Briggs & Stratton Related articles John I. Beggs Stephen Foster Briggs Briggs & Stratton Animal Briggs & Stratton Flyer Briggs & Stratton Raptor Evinrude Generac Power Systems Johnson Outboards Murray, Inc Outboard Marine Corporation Thomas R. Savage Simplicity Outdoor Snapper Inc. Brooks Stevens Harold M. Stratton Victa

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