The Rise and Fall of Simplicity, How a Wisconsin Mower Beat John Deere and Was Destroye
In 1957, a Wisconsin company put a lawn mower on the cover of Mechanix Illustrated with air conditioning, a radio telephone, and a built-in chilled drink dispenser. John Deere spent six years studying their next machine before they could build their own version. By 2003, Simplicity Manufacturing had $350 million in annual sales. In 2020, the engine supplier that powered their mowers for 80 years filed for bankruptcy and took them down with it. Henry Ford destroyed the original company that owned the Simplicity name in 1920. Briggs & Stratton destroyed the second one in 2020. One hundred years apart. Same story. The orange riding mowers from Port Washington, Wisconsin that helped define the American suburb are gone — and most Americans never knew the name behind the machine. This is the full story of Simplicity Manufacturing — the company that invented the rear-engine riding mower, outsmarted John Deere for four decades, survived five ownership changes, and was finally killed by the partner it trusted most. 🔔 Subscribe for more untold stories of American tool and equipment brands — new video every week. --- #Simplicity #SimplicityMowers #RidingMower #LawnMower #AmericanManufacturing #MadeInUSA #BriggsAndStratton #LawnCare #GardenTractor #ToolHistory #Documentary #RiseAndFall #VintageMower #OutdoorPowerEquipment #AmericanBrands #ToolDocumentary #JohnDeere #Wisconsin #ClassicTractors #ForgottenBrands
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