BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Toro Co. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Charles Machine Works Inc., an Oklahoma corporation and the parent company of Ditch Witch and several other leading brands in the underground construction market, for $700 million in cash subject to certain adjustments set forth in the definitive agreement. 

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is currently anticipated to close before the end of Toro’s fiscal 2019 third quarter. More detailed information regarding the transaction is included in an investor presentation available at www.thetorocompany.com. 

Headquartered in Perry, Okla., Charles Machine Works designs, manufactures and sells a range of products to cover the full life-cycle of underground pipe and cable, including horizontal directional drills, walk and ride trenchers, utility loaders, vacuum excavators, asset locators, pipe rehabilitation solutions and after-market tools. The company generated calendar year 2018 revenues of approximately $725 million. 

“The company expands our business in a meaningful way in an adjacent category we know well through our own specialty construction business and in a market that is attractive given the potential for growth in addressing both aging infrastructure that is currently in place and new infrastructure that will be needed to support next generation technologies like 5G,” said Richard M. Olson, Toro’s chairman and chief executive officer.