BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) -- Toro Co. said Thursday it plans to build an irrigation products facility in Romania to give it greater access to the Eastern European market.
The Bloomington, Minn., company, which makes lawnmowers and irrigation systems, said the new facility will be located near the city of Ploiesti, and it will make micro irrigation products for use growing vegetables and field crops, as well as orchards and vineyards. Toro said micro irrigation is becoming a larger part of irrigated agriculture in Eastern Europe.
Construction of the new facility is expected to start in early 2011, and production should start in late summer 2011, the company said. Toro already has a micro irrigation manufacturing plant in Rome, Italy.
Toro shares rose $1.41, or 2.3 percent, to $62.65 in afternoon trading.