There are a few companies who will be at the GIE+EXPO on Oct. 28-30 in Louisville, KY, who are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. Stop by their booths and wish them well.
DIXIE CHOPPER TURNS 30 – Booth# 7214
It was 1980. And in an old dairy barn on a small farm east of Fillmore, IN, Art Evans was putting the finishing touches on a cutting machine. On April 15, 1980, Evans completed his first Dixie Chopper zero-turn lawn mower, calling it the Magnum 5018 with an 18-horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine and a 50-inch cutting deck.
“Thirty years ago, I believed we could change the way people mow grass in this country, and it’s all about productivity and showing people how to make money,” Evans says.
Described as a down-to-earth, self-made businessman, Evans didn’t invent the zero-turning-radius lawn mower, but he helped perfect its application after seeing one on display at the Indiana State Fair in the 1970s. He knew then the zero-turn was the time-saving future of the mowing industry – especially for commercial cutters.
That very first Dixie Chopper mower (No. 0001) was used weekly by Evans’ late parents to mow their property for more than 26 years before it was reclaimed, restored and turned into a museum piece. The famous Dixie Chopper slogan may be “The World’s Fastest Lawn Mower” (one with a 74-inch deck can mow a football field in 10 minutes) but Evans’ own motto has been “build up to quality, not down to price.” And although Dixie Chopper now operates with Gary A. Morgan as its second-ever president, it still subscribes to Evans’ business principles.
Success has not changed the 68-year-old Evans. He still doesn’t have an office at Dixie Chopper’s 120,000-square-foot headquarters. He still wears a company ballcap to work and roams the factory, troubleshooting whenever and wherever necessary.
Today, Dixie Chopper continues to build mid-mount zero-turn lawn mowers, ranging from a 23-hp model with a 44-inch cut to a 40-hp version with a 74-inch deck and various combinations in between. Dixie Chopper also offers four separate fuel options. Besides models with gasoline engines supplied by Generac, Kohler and Briggs & Stratton, Dixie has a new diesel with a Caterpillar engine, a Generac propane unit in both 66- and 74-inch cutting widths and the Eco-Eagle, a compressed natural gas-powered mower.
WEED MAN TURNS 40 – Booth #1000
Beginning in 1970, Weed Man has grown from its Canadian roots into an international network of locally owned and operated lawn care businesses, providing healthy lawn care services that produce lush green lawns for homeowners from across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
While its services began with weed control, today Weed Man’s healthy lawn care programs and services focus on a well-balanced, quality fertilization program first; which in turn produces a healthy lawn. The company believes a well-rooted thick, lush healthy lawn is the best defense against potential pest problems and that customers who utilize its complete lawn care program in combination with proper watering and mowing can have a healthier better looking lawn.
The first Weed Man turfgrass professional was Desmond Rice who established his business in 1970 in Mississauga, Ontario. In 1976, he decided to grow the business through franchising. As a result, there are more than 250 Weed Man franchises providing professional horticultural services across Canada, the USA and in the United Kingdom.
When Des Rice established Weed Man in 1970, he had seen a need for controlling broadleaf weeds and other plants whose tendency was to spread quickly and destroy the beautiful green landscapes that have characterized residential life in North America. He soon learned the best thing for the average lawn was to mow, water and fertilize it normally, therefore encouraging the growth of healthy grass and discouraging undesirable grasses and weeds.
It turned out Des was ahead of his time. Not only were there a lot of North Americans who needed help with the most technical parts of lawn care, but his preventive approach eventually proved to be the right one. Today, government agencies are recommending an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) procedure similar to the approach long employed by Weed Man professionals.
