Acquisition strengthens position in precision irrigation market

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 2007--The Toro Company (NYSE:TTC) today announced it has acquired Turf Guard(TM) wireless monitoring technology from JLH Labs, LLC. The purchase of Turf Guard systems helps strengthen the company's irrigation product offering, and reinforces a long-term strategy to continue to invest in new technologies to help customers manage growing water management issues.

"This acquisition will help strengthen our position in the precision irrigation market," said Michael Hoffman, chairman and CEO of The Toro Company. "The Turf Guard technology fits well with our current irrigation products and moves us forward more quickly to address growing demand for sensors in the golf market."

Founded in 2003, Turf Guard is a leader in wireless soil monitoring technology. The Turf Guard system is designed to measure soil moisture, salinity and temperature through buried wireless sensors that transmit data to a web-based interface for analysis.

While revenues associated with sales of Turf Guard products are not significant today, the system and technology are an important addition to the company's irrigation strategy. Products are expected to continue to be sold under the Turf Guard name. This acquisition follows the company's recent purchase of Rain Master Irrigation Systems, a manufacturer of innovative irrigation controllers.

As an important part of the acquisition, Jason Hill, Ph.D., president and CEO of JLH Labs, will become part of The Toro Company's irrigation team.

About The Toro Company

The Toro Company (NYSE:TTC) is a leading worldwide provider of outdoor beautification products, support services and integrated solutions. With sales of $1.8 billion in 2006, Toro is committed to providing environmentally responsible products of customer-valued quality and innovation. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands that serve a customer base that includes golf course superintendents, groundskeepers, sports field managers, landscape and irrigation contractors, fruit and vegetable growers, and homeowners. The Toro Company is headquartered at 8111 Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington, Minn. Visit the company Web site at www.thetorocompany.com.

Safe Harbor

Statements made in this news release, which are forward-looking, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied. These uncertainties include factors that affect all businesses operating in a global market as well as matters specific to Toro. Particular risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operating results or overall financial position at the present include: slow growth rates in global and domestic economies, resulting in rising unemployment and weakened consumer confidence; the threat of further terrorist acts and war, which may result in contraction of the U.S. and worldwide economies; fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, including steel, resins and other commodities; rising fuel and other costs of transportation; the impact of abnormal weather patterns and natural disasters; the level of growth in our markets, including the golf market; reduced government spending for grounds maintenance equipment due to reduced tax revenue and tighter government budgets; dependence on The Home Depot as a customer for the residential segment; elimination of shelf space for our products at retailers; inventory adjustments or changes in purchasing patterns by our customers; market acceptance of existing and new products; increased competition; our ability to achieve the goals for our current three-year growth, profit and asset management initiative called "GrowLean" which is intended to improve our revenue growth, after-tax return on sales and working capital efficiency; our increased dependence on international sales and the risks attendant to international operations; interest rates and currency movements including, in particular, our exposure to foreign currency risk; financial viability of distributors and dealers; our ability to successfully achieve our plans for and integrate acquisitions and manage alliances; the costs and effects of complying with changes in tax, fiscal, government and other regulatory policies, including rules relating to environmental, health and safety matters; unforeseen product quality problems in the development, production and usage of new and existing products; loss of or changes in executive management or key employees; ability of management to manage around unplanned events; our reliance on our intellectual property rights and the absence of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others; the occurrence of litigation or claims, including the previously disclosed pending litigation against the company and other defendants that challenges the horsepower ratings of lawnmowers, of which the company is currently unable to assess whether the litigation would have a material adverse effect on the company's consolidated operating results or financial condition, although an adverse result might be material to operating results in a particular reporting period. In addition to the factors set forth in this paragraph, market, economic, financial, competitive, weather, production and other factors identified in Toro's quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could affect the forward-looking statements in this press release. Toro undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements made in this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement.

    CONTACT: The Toro Company
             Investor Relations:
             John Wright, 952-887-8865
             Director, Investor Relations
             invest@toro.com
             or
             Media Relations:
             Connie Kotke, 952-887-8984
             Manager, Corporate Communications
             pr@toro.com
             www.thetorocompany.com

    SOURCE: The Toro Company