Ryan Ladley, Echo’s vice president of operations, is no stranger to showing guests around the company’s expansive headquarters and production facility in the Chicago suburb of Lake Zurich, Ill.
But if you’re expecting another stale, just-the-the-facts-ma’am tour from Ladley, you’re going to be disappointed. That doesn’t mean Ladley will skip over the details during his tours; he’s been with the company for almost 16 years and knows Echo’s production processes like the back of his hand.
It’s the delivery, though, and how Ladley shares those details with his audience that will stand out and make the experience one to remember. You’ll learn all about Echo’s dedication to people, safety and the streamlined process used to produce the company’s wide array of professional-grade outdoor power equipment. At the same time, you won’t forget about Ladley’s passion for the company, its people and its products.
“As a company, we want to control our own destiny,” Ladley said during a tour for the industry media and end-users who gathered last week for Power-On-Athon 2024, Echo’s annual product launch event. “That’s why we’re dedicated to investing in our people, their safety and the work they do. That’s why we’re dedicated to vertical integration and to bringing as many things in-house as we can.”
That dedication and those investments pay off in the product innovations that Echo brings to market each year, the company says. At Power-On-Athon, Echo pulled back the curtain on 10 new products that will hit the market in 2025. Eight of those are new additions to the company’s line of 56-volt battery-powered handheld equipment. Since 2017, the company says it has launched 154 new products.
Among the new products getting top billing at this year’s event were the LM-2119SP self-propelled gas mower and a six-port rapid field charger. The 21-inch mower marks the company’s re-entry into the gas-powered, walk-behind mower market, and the new unit features a 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine with ReadyStart technology, a variable speed system that automatically adapts to the user’s walking speed and a Mow N’ Stow feature and foldable handle that aid with easy storage.
The rapid field charger will give commercial landscapers the ability to keep their tools powered throughout the day. In addition to slots for six 56-volt batteries, the charger also features a locking lid, wheels and a folding handle to enhance portability and has an optional trailer/wall mount to lock the charger in place, the company says.
Other new products unveiled during Power-On-Athon included:
- DPB-2610 X Series battery-powered handheld blower
- DPB-5900T X Series battery-powered backpack blower
- DPB-7700T X Series battery-powered backpack blower
- DSRM-225 battery-powered string trimmer
- DSHC-2600 X Series battery-powered hedge trimmer
- DHS-3006 battery-powered handheld pruning saw
- Echo SRM-2120 gas string trimmer
Echo also showed off a new pink, limited-edition version of its DPB-2500LE electric handheld blower, available this October, that highlights its partnership with Susan B. Komen. Regardless of sales numbers, Echo has pledged to donate $20,000 to Susan B. Komen in 2024.
Echo receives Green Business Award
During Power-On-Athon 2024, the village of Lake Zurich presented Echo with its Lake Zurich Green Business Award, which recognizes businesses in Lake Zurich that are working to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton presented the award to Harold Redman, Echo’s president and CEO.
