Every movement needs its early adopters, and there has been no shortage of evangelists in the landscape industry as it gradually continues to embrace battery-powered and autonomous equipment.
That much was clear last month as a broad selection of leaders from some of the country’s most prominent landscaping and lawn care companies gathered in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains for the Kress NEXT Summit, hosted at The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Anchored around the introduction of a new “cut-and-go” autonomous mower, the event featured state-of-the-industry addresses from Kress senior leaders, panel discussions on both electrification and robotics in landscaping and an opportunity to test drive much of the company’s product line, from blowers and string trimmers to the previously mentioned robotic mowers.
“The industry is experiencing a major shift from gas to electric,” says Don Gao, the founder and CEO of Kress and its parent company, Positec. “We wanted to have the CEOs and leaders of the top landscaping companies here to really introduce them to what Kress is and where the technology is today. We want them to understand that Kress’ technology is different, and Kress’ technology can meet their requirements.”
Joe Langton, the vice president of the Langton Group in Woodstock, Ill., and acting CEO of Automated Outdoor Solutions, has embraced robotic and electric technology in his own businesses and has been encouraging colleagues to do the same. The opportunity to continue spreading that word was a primary reason he prioritized attending the Kress event.
“Part of the reason why I was here was because a lot of the people I have been mentoring were going to be here, too,” Langton says. “I wanted to show them that, ‘Hey, I’ve been telling you about Kress, telling you they’re the real deal, so let’s see what they have to offer together.’”
The most obvious demonstration of that philosophy was the unveiling of a new 40-inch robotic mower that Kress says will hit the market in 2026. In contrast to the company’s RTK autonomous mowers — machines that Kress calls “cut-and-stay” since most remain in place at properties managed by the landscape companies that own them — these cut-and-go mowers are designed to move from job to job and tackle larger properties. An even larger 60-inch version is also in the works.
