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Stanley Black & Decker acquired a 20% stake in MTD back in 2019, with the option to purchase the remaining 80% of the company starting in July, 2021. It’s now August 2021, and Stanley Black & Decker has announced that they will indeed be purchasing the remainder of MTD for $1.6 billion.
Dewalt discontinued their 40V Max line of cordless outdoor power tools in mid-2019, but have since expanded their FlexVolt line of cordless OPE offerings.
In addition to Dewalt’s 20V Max and FlexVolt cordless offerings, Stanley Black & Decker also has a growing catalog of lawn & garden tools under their Craftsman brand.
According to their announcement to investors, MTD earned $2.5 billion in revenue in the last 12 months.
MTD designs, manufacturers, and distributes a wide range of outdoor power equipment products, such as:
- Lawn tractors
- Zero turn mowers
- Walk behind mowers
- Snow blowers
- Residential robotic mowers
- Handheld outdoor power equipment
Additionally, all of MTD’s tool brands are also joining Stanley Black & Decker’s portfolio. This includes Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Robomow, Wolf-Garten, and Rover.
Stanley Black & Decker says they are welcoming MTD’s 7,500 employees to their family.
The two companies and their brands are already working on a “multi-year roadmap,” with “a compelling pathway to introduce new and innovative products for professional and residential outdoor equipment customers.”
In a Q&A, Stanley Black & Decker was asked if both companies will retain their individual brands, to which they answered with a vague non-answer about how they will capitalize on their strong brands and collective technology investments.
I don’t think Stanley Black & Decker would replace or dissolve any of MTD’s brands, but there is a very strong chance we’ll see some cross-over, such as in regard to cordless battery-powered equipment.
There will very likely be a transition period, similar to when Stanley Works and Black & Decker merged several years ago.
This acquisition holds a lot of potential for all of the brands involved, and it will be interesting to see how Stanley Black & Decker and MTD leverage each others’ brands and know-how.
