Lyla Lindsey
Victa is an Australian brand with a history spanning over 65 years. It was established in suburban Sydney in 1952 and has since become a household name in Australia, with its lawnmowers regarded as an Australian icon. In 2008, Victa Lawncare was sold to Briggs & Stratton Australia Pty. Ltd., a U.S.-based company and the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled petrol engines. While Victa is no longer Australian-owned, it continues to assemble lawnmowers in its Moorebank plant in Sydney, and its head office remains in Kemps Creek, NSW.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current Owner | Briggs & Stratton Corporation |
| Previous Owner | GUD Holdings Limited |
| Year of Sale | 2008 |
| Sale Price | AUD 23 million |
| Country of Current Owner | United States |
| Country of Previous Owner | Australia |
| Country of Origin | Australia |
| Industry | Lawncare |
| Product | Outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, and chainsaws |
| Manufacturing Locations | Australia, United States, China |
| Assembly Location | Kemps Creek, NSW, Australia |
| Engine Supplier | Briggs & Stratton |
| Engine Manufacturing Locations | United States, Various International Facilities |
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What You'll Learn
Victa is currently owned by Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Victa was initially established in suburban Sydney in 1952, and by 1953, its founder, Mervyn Victor Richardson, was managing the company full-time. Over the years, Victa expanded its business beyond lawnmowers to include the manufacture of "red phones," aircraft, and project homes. By 2002, the company had sold 6.5 million mowers in 30 countries.
In 1966, Victa sold its aviation division to a New Zealand company, AESL. The company continued to diversify its product range and established itself as a leading brand in Australia and beyond. However, in the early 2000s, it faced challenges due to the emergence of Chinese small engine manufacturers entering the lawnmower market.
In 2008, GUD Holdings Limited, the previous owner of Victa Lawn Care, sold the business to Briggs & Stratton. This sale marked a shift in ownership from Australian to foreign hands. Despite this change, Victa has maintained its presence in Australia. Its head office and assembly line remain in Kemps Creek, NSW, and the company continues to be a prominent exporter of lawn care products.
While engine products are now sourced from Briggs & Stratton's facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Victa has retained its Australian roots in assembly, research and development, and parts manufacture. This balance between global integration and local presence has allowed Victa to remain competitive and profitable in the international market.
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Victa was sold to an American company in 2008
In June 2008, Victa Lawncare was sold to Briggs & Stratton Australia Pty. Ltd., a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Briggs & Stratton Corporation. The American company, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world's largest small engine manufacturer and a long-standing supplier of engines to Victa. The sale price was reported to be A$23 million.
Victa, an iconic Australian brand, was established over 65 years ago in a Concord NSW backyard. By 2002, the company had sold 6.5 million mowers in 30 countries. The Victa lawnmower is regarded as an Australian icon and was featured in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Despite the sale to an American company, Victa has maintained its presence and operations in Australia. The head office and assembly line remain in Kemps Creek, NSW, where lawn mower products continue to be made. The company has emphasized that the engines and components sourced from Briggs & Stratton's facilities in the USA and other international locations are designed, manufactured, and tested to meet Victa's quality and safety standards.
Although Victa is no longer Australian-owned, it continues to be recognized as a prominent brand in Australia, known for its innovation, performance, and reliability. The sale to Briggs & Stratton was expected to sustain the company's long-term competitiveness and profitability, ensuring its longevity in the market.
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Victa was founded in Australia in 1952
The Australian brand Victa was founded in 1952 in suburban Sydney, New South Wales. It was established by Mervyn Victor Richardson, who initially sold the mowers from his home. By 1953, the demand for the mowers was so high that Richardson left his job to become the full-time manager of his new company, Victa Mowers Pty Ltd.
Over the next few decades, Victa expanded its business and diversified into other industries. In the early 1960s, the firm manufactured the "red phone", a private payphone system for business premises, as well as aircraft and Victa project homes. They set up an Aviation Division at their Milperra base and produced the Victa Airtourer, Aircruiser, and Gyroplane.
Victa continued to grow and, by 2002, had sold 6.5 million mowers in 30 countries. The brand is well-known and regarded as an Australian icon. A retro advertisement for Victa is on permanent display at Museum Railway Station in Sydney, and the Victa lawnmower was included in the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
In 2008, Victa was sold to an American company, Briggs & Stratton, for $23 million. While the ownership moved overseas, Victa has maintained its presence in Australia. The head office and assembly line remain in Kemps Creek, NSW, and the company continues to be a global exporter of lawncare products.
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Victa diversified into manufacturing aircraft in the 1960s
The Australian brand Victa is best known as a manufacturer of rotary lawn mowers. However, in the early 1960s, the company diversified into manufacturing aircraft. In 1960, Victa Consolidated Industries, later renamed Victa Ltd, decided to build 50 Victa Airtourers, a light monoplane designed by Henry Millicer. Mervyn Victor Richardson, the company's founder, had a keen interest in aeroplanes.
The company set up an Aviation Division at their Milperra, New South Wales base, and also produced the Victa Aircruiser and Victa Gyroplane. The Airtourer was an all-metal light low-wing monoplane touring aircraft that was developed and manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand. It was the winning design submitted by Millicer, the chief aerodynamicist of Australia's Government Aircraft Factories, in a competition organised by Britain's Royal Aero Club in 1953.
Victa built 168 aircraft in Sydney before selling the division to New Zealand company Aero Engine Services Ltd (AESL) in 1966. The Airtourer proved very popular, boosted by Victa's purchase plan, which allowed owners to pay off the cost in instalments. The company also produced the prototype Victa R-2, a single-engine four-seat light aircraft, one of which first flew in February 1961.
Victa's Aviation Division was completely shut down in January 1967, after failing to get financial assistance from the Australian government. The manufacturing rights to the Airtourer were purchased by AESL, which produced 7 Airtourers from parts provided by Victa before launching its own aircraft. The rights to the Aircruiser were also sold to AESL in 1969, and the aircraft was redesigned as the AESL CT/4 Airtrainer, a fully aerobatic military trainer.
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Victa is regarded as an Australian icon
For over 65 years, Victa has been regarded as an Australian icon. The company was established in suburban Sydney in 1952 by Mervyn Victor Richardson, who initially sold mowers from his home. By 1953, the demand for Victa mowers was so strong that Richardson left his job to become a full-time manager of his new company, Victa Mowers Pty Ltd.
In the following decades, Victa expanded its business beyond lawn care products. In the early 1960s, the firm diversified into manufacturing the "red phone," a private payphone system for business premises, aircraft, and, for a short while, Victa project homes. Victa built 168 aircraft in Sydney before selling off the division in 1966.
By 2002, 6.5 million Victa mowers had been sold in 30 countries, and the brand had become synonymous with Australian culture. Victa's success and longevity in the lawn care industry earned it a reputation for innovation, strong performance, and reliability. The Victa lawnmower was even featured in the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, solidifying its place as an Australian icon.
However, in 2008, ownership of the 56-year-old Australian icon moved overseas when it was sold to the US-based company Briggs & Stratton for $23 million. Briggs & Stratton, the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled petrol engines, had been a long-standing supplier of engines to Victa. While the design and manufacturing capabilities have remained in Australia, all engine products are now sourced from Briggs & Stratton's facilities in Wisconsin.
Despite the change in ownership, Victa continues to be an iconic Australian brand, known for its user-friendly and reliable lawn care products.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Victa is owned by the American company Briggs & Stratton Corporation.
In June 2008, Victa Lawncare was sold to Briggs & Stratton Australia Pty. Ltd.
Victa is an iconic Australian brand known for its lawncare products, particularly its lawn mowers.
Victa products are manufactured at their head office in Kemps Creek, NSW, and also assembled overseas in the USA and China.
Victa was established in suburban Sydney in 1952 and has since sold more than 7 million lawnmowers worldwide. In the past, the company has also diversified into other industries such as aviation and private payphones.
