Tom Irwin
Tom Irwin is a family-owned, New England-based specialty distributor and agronomic services provider founded in 1940 that sells turfgrass products, runs diagnostic testing, and offers consulting to golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners across MA, CT, RI, NH, ME, and VT.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1940
- HeadquartersBurlington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tom Irwin does
Tom Irwin Inc. is a privately held, family-owned (Petersen family) specialty distributor and agronomic services provider founded in 1940 and headquartered in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. The company serves golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners exclusively across the six New England states (MA, CT, RI, NH, ME, VT) with a team of approximately 40, including territory-based Client Representatives who are former superintendents and turf managers. Its core offerings span three revenue streams: (1) Product Solutions — a curated portfolio of plant protectants, nutrition products, water management solutions, grass seed, and golf course supplies sourced from major manufacturers (Bayer, BASF, Corteva, FMC, Nufarm, PBI-Gordon, Lebanon Turf, DLF Pickseed, etc.); (2) Tom Irwin Diagnostics — soil, water, and plant disease testing performed in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Pathology Lab; and (3) Tom Irwin Advisors — consulting services covering sustainability, design/build, and full project lifecycle management for parks and athletic fields.
The company's go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by an owned delivery and warehouse operation. Approximately 10 Client Representatives, each assigned to a defined geographic or vertical territory, conduct regular site visits, develop annual agronomic plans, and place orders on a quote-based pricing model. Tom Irwin differentiates through three proprietary knowledge assets: Client Dashboard and Planner 3.0 (a web application integrating orders, deliveries, invoices, labels, SDS, testing results, weather, GDD tracking, calendars, and application schedules); the Tom Irwin Diagnostics lab partnership; and an annual programming cadence (Agronomic Academy, Product Innovation Seminar, Leadership and Professional Development Program, Groundsmanship Training) that embeds the company into clients' professional development and grounds-crew training. Customer concentration is broad at the account level (100+ named and unstated accounts including Newport Country Club, Myopia Hunt Club, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Concord Academy, Town of Stonington) but tightly clustered in golf courses within a single region, creating moderate concentration risk. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; technology investment centers on workflow software and human-expert diagnostics rather than automation or machine learning.
Tom Irwin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tom Irwin
- Legal name
- Tom Irwin Inc.
- Website
- https://tomirwin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1940
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tom Irwin is a family-owned, New England-based specialty distributor and agronomic services provider founded in 1940 that sells turfgrass products, runs diagnostic testing, and offers consulting to golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners across MA, CT, RI, NH, ME, and VT.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tom Irwin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Golf Course and Sports Turf Management Services
- NAICS
- Landscaping Services (561730), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Chemicals (2870)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Turf Management (Sports Fields, Golf Courses) (BPABADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Turf Care (Fertilization, Aeration & Weed/Pest Control) (IMAIAIAD), Athletic Field & Golf Course Groundskeeping (IMAIAIAH), Turf & Ornamental Specialty Fertilizers (Golf, Sports Turf, Landscaping) (AFABACAM), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Weed & Vegetation Control for Non-Turf Areas (Beds, Hardscapes, Fence Lines) (HSAIAGAI)
Keywords
Where Tom Irwin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tom Irwin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Solutions Sales: Sale of turfgrass management products including plant protectants, nutrition products, grass seed, water management solutions, and golf course supplies. Products sourced from manufacturing partners and delivered directly to clients.
- Diagnostic Services: Soil testing, water testing, soil paste extracts, and plant disease diagnostics provided to clients to inform product recommendations and application strategies.
- Tom Irwin Advisors Consulting: Advisory services for greenspace planning including design consultation, project lifecycle management, sustainability planning, construction oversight, and ongoing maintenance support.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Tom Irwin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tom Irwin provides integrated knowledge-based solutions for golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners in New England. The company distributes a curated portfolio of turf management products (plant protectants, fertilizers, grass seed, water management solutions, and golf course supplies from manufacturers including Bayer, BASF, Corteva, FMC, Nufarm, PBI-Gordon, Earthworks, Lebanon Turf, DLF Pickseed, and Standard Golf). It complements these products with Tom Irwin Diagnostics (soil, water, and plant disease testing in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Pathology Lab), the Client Dashboard and Planner 3.0 software platform for operations management, and consulting through Tom Irwin Advisors for sustainable greenspace design, construction, and project lifecycle management.
Product overview
Tom Irwin offers an integrated platform of knowledge-based solutions for golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners. The core offerings include Client Dashboard and Planner 3.0 (a software tool for streamlining operations including orders, deliveries, invoices, and scheduling), Tom Irwin Diagnostics (soil, water, and plant disease testing services), and Product Solutions (curated portfolio of plant protectants, nutrition products, water management, and grass seed from major manufacturers). Supporting services include Education and Training (Agronomic Academy, Product Innovation Seminar, Groundsmanship Training) and the Leadership and Professional Development Program. Tom Irwin Advisors provides consulting services for greenspace planning, including sustainability, design/build specifications, and project lifecycle management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tom Irwin Advisors: A team of expert consultants working to ensure that communities' athletic fields and parks can provide beauty, enjoyment, and recreation for years to come.
Products and services
- Product Solutions Curated portfolio of high-end turf management products distributed to clients including plant protectants (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides) sourced from Bayer, BASF, Corteva, FMC, Nufarm, PBI-Gordon, Phyllom, Quali-Pro, and SePRO; nutrition products from Earthworks, Ferti Technologies, Lebanon Turf, Redox, and Silico Turf; water management solutions from Precision Laboratories; grass seed from DLF Pickseed and Vista Seed Partners; and golf course supplies from Par-Aide and Standard Golf. Products are delivered directly to client facilities.
- Tom Irwin Diagnostics
- Client Dashboard and Planner 3.0
- Tom Irwin Advisors Consulting team providing expertise in sustainability, design and construction, and technical project strategy for parks and sports fields. Covers the full project lifecycle from design through build to ongoing management, including design consultation, project lifecycle management, sustainability planning, construction oversight, and ongoing maintenance support for municipalities and greenspace planners.
- Leadership and Professional Development Program Annual professional development program designed to help turf managers develop management and communication skills, presentation abilities, influencing skills, and overall confidence to lead teams, advocate for ideas, and advance their careers. Includes seminars, practice sessions, real-world problem scenarios, keynote speeches, and breakout sessions. Established approximately 15 years ago.
- Agronomic Academy
- Product Innovation Seminar
- Groundsmanship Training
Quantifiable outcome
- Client testimonials indicate successful soil remediation and improved turf conditions year-over-year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tom Irwin
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tom Irwin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Tom Irwin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- BayercorePlant protectants supplier for golf course and sports turf applications including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.
- BASFcorePlant protectants supplier providing crop protection products for turf management.
- CortevacorePlant protectants supplier for golf and sports turf applications.
- FMCcorePlant protectants supplier for turfgrass management.
- NufarmcorePlant protectants supplier providing turf and ornamental solutions.
- PBI-GordoncorePlant protectants supplier for turf and ornamental markets.
- PhyllomcoreBioproducts supplier for turfgrass management.
- Quali-ProcorePlant protectants supplier for professional turf management.
- SePROcorePlant protectants supplier specializing in turf and aquatic solutions.
- EarthworkscoreNutrition products supplier providing organic and biological fertilizers for turf.
- Ferti TechnologiescoreNutrition products supplier for turfgrass fertility.
- Lebanon TurfcoreNutrition products supplier providing fertilizers and turf care products.
- RedoxcoreNutrition products supplier providing specialty fertilizers for turf health.
- Silico TurfcoreNutrition products supplier focusing on silicon-based turf solutions.
- Precision LaboratoriescoreWater management products supplier for irrigation and turf applications.
- DLF PickseedcoreSeed supplier providing grass seed varieties for golf courses and sports fields.
- Vista Seed PartnerscoreSeed supplier providing turfgrass seed varieties.
- Par-AidecoreGolf course supplies and accessories supplier.
- Standard GolfcoreGolf course equipment and supplies distributor.
- University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Pathology LabcoreAcademic partnership for plant disease diagnostics. Tom Irwin works with URI lab to provide swift diagnosis of turfgrass diseases, allowing clients to deploy proper chemistries quickly.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tom Irwin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SiteOne Landscape Supply: The largest U.S. distributor of landscape supplies, irrigation, lighting, and turf products across residential, commercial, and golf/sports segments. Overlaps with Tom Irwin across turf inputs and agronomic support but operates at far greater scale and breadth across many customer types beyond turf.
- Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply: A large U.S. distributor of irrigation, landscape, and turf products serving contractors and golf/sports customers. Comparable to Tom Irwin on distribution of turf inputs and irrigation/water management solutions with a broader geographic and customer footprint.
- WinField United: A national agricultural inputs and agronomy services platform (owned by Land O'Lakes) distributing crop protection and specialty plant nutrition, including turf and ornamental customers. Matches Tom Irwin on the combination of chemical/nutritional products plus adjacencies in agronomic advisory services.
- Helena Agri-Enterprises: A major U.S. distributor of crop protection products, fertilizers, and specialized services including agriadjacent turf applications. Comparable to Tom Irwin in agricultural chemical distribution and agronomic advisory, though Helena operates at national scale across multiple crop segments.
- Target Specialty Products: A national distributor of pest control, turf, and ornamental products serving professional applicators, golf, and sports turf markets. Comparable to Tom Irwin in distribution model and customer overlap, but with a much broader product and geographic footprint.
- The Andersons: Diversified agribusiness with a Plant Nutrient Group producing specialty fertilizers (including turf products) for golf, sports turf, and lawn care. Compares to Tom Irwin in product category (turf nutrition and protection) but on a manufacturing rather than regional distribution basis.
Direct peers
- Advanced Turf Solutions: A regional distributor and manufacturer of turf grass products, fertilizers, and seed serving golf courses, sports fields, and lawn care professionals across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Strongly comparable to Tom Irwin's focus on product distribution plus agronomic support for superintendents.
- Harrell's: A specialized turf and ornamental products distributor serving golf courses, sports turf, and lawn care professionals across the Southeast U.S. Closest direct analog to Tom Irwin in product mix (plant protectants, fertilizers, seed), customer base (superintendents), and consultative field-sales model.
Regional players
- Turf Products Corp: A New England-based distributor of turf maintenance equipment, irrigation, and related products serving golf and sports turf customers in geographies overlapping Tom Irwin. Direct regional competitor on equipment and adjacent inputs, though focused more on machinery than agronomic consumables.
Emerging players
- Jacklin Seed (Simplot): A leading turfgrass seed brand (now part of J.R. Simplot) selling varieties used by golf courses and sports turf managers worldwide. Comparable to Tom Irwin via the seed product line carried (including DLF Pickseed-supplied varieties) but operating as a breeder/supplier rather than a regional distributor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tom Irwin social profiles
Digital presenceTom Irwin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tom Irwin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Tom Irwin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tom Irwin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tom Irwin
What does Tom Irwin do?
Tom Irwin provides integrated knowledge-based solutions for golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and greenspace planners in New England. The company distributes a curated portfolio of turf management products (plant protectants, fertilizers, grass seed, water management solutions, and golf course supplies from manufacturers including Bayer, BASF, Corteva, FMC, Nufarm, PBI-Gordon, Earthworks, Lebanon Turf, DLF Pickseed, and Standard Golf). It complements these products with Tom Irwin Diagnostics (soil, water, and plant disease testing in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Pathology Lab), the Client Dashboard and Planner 3.0 software platform for operations management, and consulting through Tom Irwin Advisors for sustainable greenspace design, construction, and project lifecycle management.
Is Tom Irwin a public or private company?
Tom Irwin is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Tom Irwin founded?
Tom Irwin was founded in 1940. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tom Irwin based?
Tom Irwin is headquartered in Burlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tom Irwin make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Solutions Sales are the primary driver. The others are diagnostic Services and tom Irwin Advisors Consulting.
Who are Tom Irwin's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SiteOne Landscape Supply, Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, WinField United, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Target Specialty Products and The Andersons. Direct peers are Advanced Turf Solutions and Harrell's. Turf Products Corp is listed as a regional player. Jacklin Seed (Simplot) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tom Irwin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tom Irwin.
What industry is Tom Irwin in?
Tom Irwin's product category is Golf Course and Sports Turf Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABADAC, Turf Management (Sports Fields, Golf Courses), with a secondary code of IMAIAIAD, Turf Care (Fertilization, Aeration & Weed/Pest Control). Its NAICS code is 561730 and its SIC code is 700.