Pope Products garden products changes hands

Garden products and irrigation systems manufacturer Pope Products has been sold by its owner The Toro Company to a new US based owner – non powered garden products manufacturer The AMES Company.

Toto will retain its own brand products in Australia while Pope Products, which traces its roots back to 1925, will continue to operate exclusively in Australia and New Zealand.

Pope Products operates a factory in Adelaide that uses state of the art moulding and extrusion machines to make iconic products such as the Waterbird mini-sprinkler and DripMaxx drip tube and Aquatraxx tape.

Its products are used in private gardens and iconic turf venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval.

According to a statement from Toro the sale stems from its ‘commitment to disciplined portfolio management and prudent capital allocation strategies’.

“The transaction also represents an opportunity for Toro Australia to enhance its focus on the best opportunities to drive long-term profitable growth in the golf, sports fields and grounds, professional contractor, rental and residential markets.”

Toro made no comment about the future of the Australian manufacturing business.

Pope Products is a small business and the divestiture is immaterial to Toro’s fiscal 2024 financial results.

Picture: Toto Australia