Toro Acquires Turf Guard Wireless Monitoring Technology

The Toro Co. acquired Turf Guard wireless monitoring technology from JLH Labs. The purchase of Turf Guard systems helps strengthen the company’s irrigation product offering, and reinforces a long-term strategy to continue to invest in new technologies to help customers manage growing water management issues.

“This acquisition will help strengthen our position in the precision irrigation market,” says Michael Hoffman, chairman and c.e.o. of Toro. “The Turf Guard technology fits well with our current irrigation products and moves us forward more quickly to address growing demand for sensors in the golf market.”

Founded in 2003, Turf Guard specializes in wireless soil monitoring technology. The Turf Guard system is designed to measure soil moisture, salinity and temperature through buried wireless sensors that transmit data to a web-based interface for analysis.

While revenues associated with sales of Turf Guard products are not significant today, the system and technology are an important addition to the company’s irrigation strategy. Products are expected to continue to be sold under the Turf Guard name. This acquisition follows the company’s recent purchase of Rain Master Irrigation Systems, a manufacturer of innovative irrigation controllers.

As an important part of the acquisition, Jason Hill, Ph.D., president and c.e.o.of JLH Labs, will become part of Toro’s irrigation team.