2023 marks AriensCo’s 90th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the AriensCo Museum dug into its archives and chose “33 Objects” that reflect the company’s rich history. Often, these artifacts show that it’s not just manufacturing history that AriensCo has played an important role in, but also the forging of America itself.
During World War II, the raw materials needed to produce Ariens equipment, such as steel, were strictly designated for military purposes. When the war was over, Ariens was able to ramp back up and double production. These hand-carved scale models of manufacturing equipment were likely used to determine the most efficient plant layout.
In 1994, Gravely introduced a zeroturn lawn mower for landscapers that was equipped with a newly invented hydrostatic transmission that utilized pumps and wheel motors. This invention would forever change the company’s lawn mower designs, and it was engineered into future Gravely lawn mowers for decades to come.
Unique advertising methods, such as producing trinkets and mementos, have helped promote AriensCo products since the golden age of advertising. The oldest item in the company's collection is a matchbook from the early 1940s that features Ariens tillers, a once-popular farming machine. These matchbooks were likely gifted to farmers across the country when Mando Ariens demoed equipment for them.