The TRI-Center for Technology, Research and Innovation Words By The Toro Company Toro have been developing and introducing products that increase productivity, save water, reduce fuel consumption and improve growing conditions for many years. Some examples of this are the range of recently introduced lithium-ion battery powered Greensmaster® ride-on and Greensmaster® eFLEX Walk Greens Mowers, the WE500 – a battery operated utility loader and the Lynx Central Irrigation Control system, to name but a few. Have you ever wondered what new technologies Toro is working on for the future? Are you curious about where we get our inspiration for new products and features? You may be surprised to find out we have a whole team dedicated to supporting and facilitating research and development, and we’re always evolving right along with our customers and markets. Toro’s Center for Technology, Research and Innovation (the TRI-Center) is our research facility. But our commitment to development goes back to The Toro Company’s beginnings in 1914. That’s why this story about the future wouldn’t be complete without a look back at our past. True to Our Roots Finding better ways to solve customers’ challenges has always been part of the fabric of Toro’s culture. An important chapter in that legacy started in 1952, when turf industry legend James R. Watson, Ph.D., joined The Toro Company as director of agronomy. Around that time, Dr. Watson began leading a team of researchers in conducting studies on a variety of grasses and soils to ensure best management practices in fertilisation and water usage, as well as approaches for
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controlling unwanted grasses, disease and pests. (Fun fact: The area where these studies took place was once the only research center of its kind in the world. It’s now known as the “Dr. James R. Watson Research and Development Proving Grounds” and it is still being used today at Toro’s world headquarters in Bloomington, Minn.) During his 46 years at Toro, Dr. Watson was a pioneer in turf and water management research, and he used the results of his studies to educate Toro personnel and the industry at large. Dr. Watson was more than an agronomist, he was a customer advocate — and golf courses, parks and sports facilities around the world frequently sought his advice whenever they faced difficult turf challenges. Expanding Our Focus Building on Dr. Watson’s groundbreaking research, an advanced engineering group emerged within Toro’s commercial division in the 1980s. Over time, this team expanded to include both residential and commercial equipment, as well as irrigation, evolving into the Center for Advanced Turf Technology in the late 1990s. Since then, Toro’s product offering has grown substantially — and our research and development efforts have evolved to match. Although turf science and agronomy are still very much a part of our work, we have broadened our efforts to include other nonturf areas that impact our customers. Today, the TRI-Center is a resource for every Toro business, from underground directional drilling to snow and ice management to micro-irrigation for agriculture. What Is the TRI-Center, and What Do They Do? You can learn a lot about the Center for Technology, Research and Innovation simply
