BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Sep 13, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) today announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kendrick B. Melrose and Chief Financial Officer Stephen P. Wolfe have signed and filed statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) certifying the accuracy of The Toro Company's filings made with the SEC since January 29, 2002.

In June, all public companies with annual revenues in excess of $1.2 billion were ordered by the SEC to certify their financial reports no later than the close of business on the first date on or after August 14, 2002 that their company is required to file a Form 10-K or Form 10-Q with the commission. For Toro, that date is September 16, 2002. Subsequently, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 required additional certifications.

The statements filed by Mr. Melrose and Mr. Wolfe certify that the Company's Fiscal 2001 Annual Report filed on Form 10-K, the company's fiscal 2002 quarterly financial reports on Form 10-Q, and the company's proxy statement for its most recent annual meeting of shareholders, did not omit any material information and did not include any material misstatements.

In addition, Mr. Melrose and Mr. Wolfe signed and filed additional certifications related to The Toro Company's fiscal 2002 third quarter report filed on Form 10-Q as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new SEC rules.

The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of outdoor maintenance and beautification products for home, recreation and commercial landscapes.

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SOURCE The Toro Company

CONTACT:          Investors, Stephen P. Wolfe, Vice President, CFO,
                  +1-952-887-8076, or Stephen D. Keating, Assistant Treasurer, Director,
                  Investor Relations, +1-952-887-8526, or Media, Shelley Benedict, Media
                  Relations, +1-952-887-8930, or pr@toro.com , all of The Toro Company
                  /Company News On-Call:
                  http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/103025.html 

URL:              http://www.toro.com 
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