Greenworks was started in 2002 by a Chinese entrepreneur named Yin Chen. Chen’s stated goal was to replace gasoline-powered garden tools with electric powered - and preferably battery powered - alternatives. True to this goal, the company has introduced nearly 50 models of electric powered mowers, most of which it sells in the US through a partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores.
In just over 18 years, Greenworks has grown from a 100 person enterprise to an international giant that employs more than 45,000 workers in China, the US, Germany, France, Korea, Russia and Vietnam. The company’s success can be attributed directly to the fact that they produce high quality, environmentally friendly products at competitive prices. We’ll be reviewing many of those products in our Greenworks lawn mower reviews.
Our Greenworks Lawn Mower Reviews
History of Greenworks Lawn Mowers
As already mentioned, the Greenworks brand was started in 2002 by entrepreneur Lin Chen who would go on to be named the Ernst & Young 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year in China. Chen has an ambition to eliminate gas powered tools from the yard and replace them with efficient, reliable electric powered devices. Preferably those made by his company.
To enable his ambitious plan, Chen introduced a 24 hour R&D cycle where engineers in one time zone hand off their projects to engineers in a downstream time zone so that development, in effect, never stops. His plan was initially greeted with skepticism, but history has proven him to be forward-thinking.
In just a few years Chen’s company, Globe Tools Group, (which produces the Greenworks brand), went from a small Chinese startup based in Changzhou to an international powerhouse in the lawn and garden space with a global presence and an ever-expanding line of innovative corded and cordless mowers.
In 2016, Globe Tools Group received a sizable cash infusion from German chainsaw manufacturer Stihl. It wasn’t disclosed exactly how big a chunk of Globe Tools that Stihl purchased, but industry rumors were that it was a substantial stake.
Recently, Greenworks announced their plans to market a battery powered zero turn mower in the US. The mower would have a 2-3 hour run time and would be the first battery powered riding mower available to US consumers. I look forward to adding that to our list of Greenworks lawn mower reviews in the near future.
Where are Greenworks Lawn Mowers Made?
Greenworks has experienced phenomenal growth in the past decade and has moved aggressively into markets on every continent. However, as the company has grown and expanded its product line one thing has not changed: all of its mowers are still produced in the company’s massive facility in Changzhou, China.
The company’s enormous Chinese based production capability was one of the things that made it so attractive for Stihl to invest in. Part of the deal they struck with Globe Tools Group was to allow Stihl to move some of their chainsaw production from Europe to the Changzhou facility in order to cut production costs.
