Steven Willand

What Steven Willand does

Steven Willand Inc. (dba SWI Distribution) is a family-owned wholesale distributor of professional lawn care and outdoor power equipment, founded in 1966 as a retail Lawn & Garden dealer in Fairfield, New Jersey. The company pivoted into wholesale distribution in 1968 and relocated in 1986 to its current headquarters and 80,000+ square-foot warehouse at 23 US-206, Augusta, New Jersey. Ownership has remained with the Willand family across three generations, with Scott Willand serving as President since 1994 and Steffen Willand (third generation) serving as Vice President; no external capital, parent company, or institutional investors are disclosed.

The company generates revenue by purchasing branded outdoor power equipment from a portfolio of manufacturers and reselling it at wholesale markup to approximately 1,500 Lawn & Garden dealerships across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Distributed brands include RedMax (commercial trimmers, blowers, chain saws, edgers, hedge trimmers), Milwaukee Tool (power and hand tools, storage), Classen (aerators, sod cutters, dethatchers, seeders), Little Wonder (blowers, vacuums, truck loaders, hedge trimmers), Mantis (tillers/cultivators), Power Trim Edgers (gasoline edgers), Accelerator Industries (commercial-mower catchers), Velke-Gobbler, and CatchRite Catchers. The company does not develop proprietary technology; its competitive infrastructure is a four-territory field sales organization (New England; NY/Long Island/Westchester/Connecticut; Mid-Atlantic; Maryland/Delaware/Southern Pennsylvania), a B2B ToolBox online ordering portal, parts and warranty support, and the Augusta warehouse for fulfillment.

Go-to-market is wholesale channel-partner motion: dealers resell equipment to end customers including homeowners and landscape professionals. The company employs 25+ people at the Augusta office (firmographics range 11–50), with no disclosed revenue figure, no M&A history, no funding rounds, and no AI/ML capability development. Customer engagement is supported by a website (swi-distribution.com), Facebook, X (@SWI1966), Instagram, and YouTube, plus a retail-financing offering surfaced to dealers' downstream buyers.

Name

Steven Willand

Legal name

Steven Willand, Inc.

Website

https://swi-distribution.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steven Willand Inc. (SWI Distribution) is a family-owned wholesale distributor of premium lawn care and outdoor power equipment, serving approximately 1,500 Lawn & Garden dealerships across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions since 1966.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Power Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42382)

SIC

Lawn & Garden Tractors & Home Lawn & Gardens Equip (3524)

akta.pro primary industry

Gardening, Lawn & Outdoor Living Distribution (CRAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Outdoor power equipment distribution
• Lawn care equipment wholesale
• Landscape equipment supply
• Turf renovation equipment
• Lawn and garden dealerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: SWI Distribution generates revenue by selling lawn care equipment, outdoor power equipment, and related products to a network of Lawn & Garden dealerships throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Revenue comes from the markup on equipment sold through the dealer network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SWI Distribution is a wholesale distributor of premium lawn care and outdoor power equipment, selling distributed brand-name products (RedMax, Milwaukee Tool, Classen, Little Wonder, Mantis, Power Trim Edgers, Accelerator Industries, Velke-Gobbler, CatchRite Catchers) to approximately 1,500 Lawn & Garden dealerships across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The company supports dealers through an online B2B ordering system, a dealer portal, regional field sales management, and parts/warranty services, operating from an 80,000+ sq ft warehouse in Augusta, NJ.

Product overview

Steven Willand Inc. (SWI Distribution) is a wholesale distribution company for professional lawn care and outdoor power equipment, operating since 1966. The company distributes multiple branded product lines through a network of approximately 1,500 Lawn & Garden dealerships across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Their product portfolio includes RedMax commercial power equipment (trimmers, blowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws), Milwaukee Tool (power tools, hand tools, storage), Classen turf renovation equipment (aerators, sod cutters, dethatchers), Little Wonder outdoor power equipment (blowers, vacuums, hedge trimmers), Mantis home and garden products (tillers/cultivators), Power Trim Edgers (gasoline-powered edgers), Accelerator Industries catchers (commercial mower attachments), Velke-Gobbler, and CatchRite Catchers. The company operates an online dealer ordering system and maintains over 80,000 square feet of warehouse space in Augusta, New Jersey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RedMax Commercial Power Equipment Distributed brand of commercial land care equipment including trimmers, brushcutters, hand-held and backpack blowers, stick-edgers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, pole chain saws, and gas-powered scissors. RedMax pioneered Strato-Charged technology in 1998. Intended for sale through SWI's dealer network to homeowners and landscape professionals.
• Milwaukee Tool Distributed brand of power tools, hand tools, and storage solutions, founded in 1924 and recognized as a leader in cordless technology. Sold by SWI Distribution through its dealer network to professional end users.
• Classen Turf Renovation Equipment Distributed brand of turf renovation equipment including commercial aerators, turf rakes/dethatchers, sod cutters, and seeders. Acquired by Schiller Grounds Care in 2004. Sold to commercial and rental markets through SWI's dealer network.
• Little Wonder Debris Management and Turf Renovation Distributed brand of outdoor power equipment including leaf blowers, vacuums, truck loaders, hedge trimmers, and edgers. Founded in England in 1922 and acquired by Schiller-Pfeiffer in 1935. Pioneered the first electric hedge trimmer in 1940 and first gas engine hedge trimmer in 1955.
• Mantis Home and Garden Products Distributed brand of home and garden products including the popular 20-pound tiller/cultivator introduced in 1980. Mantis has manufactured home and garden products for over 35 years and is known for durability, industry-leading warranties, and over one million satisfied customers as of 2015.
• Power Trim Edgers Distributed brand of gasoline-powered lawn edgers used to create clean delineations between lawns and surrounding surfaces such as walkways. Founded in the 1950s by Roy Dykes and his son Jim in Compton, California. The company exclusively manufactures edgers with heavy-gauge steel tubing frames and interchangeable parts.
• Accelerator Industries Catchers Distributed brand of catchers for nearly every commercial mower on the market. Founded in 1995 by Peter and Kristy Andonian, with manufacturing in Kent, Washington. Distributed by SWI to commercial lawn care dealers.
• Velke-Gobbler Distributed product line carried by SWI Distribution as part of its lawn care equipment portfolio for dealer resale.
• CatchRite Catchers Distributed product line carried by SWI Distribution as part of its lawn care equipment portfolio for dealer resale.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• RedMaxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes RedMax commercial power equipment including trimmers, brushcutters, blowers, edgers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, and the RedMax Reciprocator gas-powered scissors. RedMax pioneered Strato-Charged technology in 1998 for clean-burning, fuel-efficient two-stroke engines.
• Milwaukee ToolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Milwaukee Tool products including power tools, hand tools, and storage solutions. Milwaukee Tool, founded in 1924, is a century-old leader in cordless technology known for high-performance, durable professional-grade tools.
• ClassencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Classen turf renovation equipment including commercial aerators, turf rakes/dethatchers, sod cutters, and seeders. Classen was established in 1973 and acquired by Schiller Grounds Care in 2004.
• Little WondercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Little Wonder products including leaf blowers, vacuums, truck loaders, hedge trimmers, and edgers. Little Wonder was founded in England in 1922 and is one of the oldest names in the landscaping industry.
• MantiscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Mantis home and garden products including the popular 20-pound tiller/cultivator. Mantis has been manufacturing home and garden products for over 35 years and is known for innovative design and industry-leading warranties.
• Power Trim EdgerssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes the complete Power Trim Edgers lineup of gasoline-powered lawn edgers. Founded in the 1950s by Roy Dykes and his son Jim, the company specializes exclusively in edgers.
• Accelerator IndustriessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Accelerator Industries catchers for commercial mowers. Founded in 1995 by Peter and Kristy Andonian, the company manufactures catchers that work in all conditions and maintains a dealer network spanning the entire US.
• Velke-GobblersupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Velke-Gobbler products as part of their comprehensive product portfolio for the lawn care industry.
• Catch Rite CatcherssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSWI Distribution distributes Catch Rite Catchers products as part of their comprehensive product portfolio for the lawn care industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stihl: Global leader in chainsaws and outdoor power equipment with an established independent dealer network across North America. Stihl's vertically-integrated dealer distribution model closely mirrors SWI's go-to-market approach in the professional OPE segment, particularly for chainsaws and handheld power equipment.
• Schiller Grounds Care: Manufacturer of Classen and Little Wonder brands that SWI distributes. Schiller operates in the same turf renovation and debris management categories as SWI's portfolio, making it both an upstream brand partner and a direct competitor in commercial grounds care equipment.
• Husqvarna: Global outdoor power equipment manufacturer that owns RedMax, one of SWI's core distributed brands. Husqvarna operates a comparable dealer-based distribution model for professional and consumer OPE in overlapping product categories (chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, riding mowers), making it directly comparable as both a competitor and brand partner.
• Echo Incorporated: Manufacturer of outdoor power equipment (trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, edgers) with a professional-grade product positioning that directly competes with RedMax and other SWI-distributed brands. Echo's dealer-based distribution model in the same professional contractor segment is directly comparable to SWI's approach.
• Bobcat Company (Doosan): Compact equipment manufacturer with dealer network model where SWI has internal specialist expertise (Stewart Markowitz serves as SWI's Bobcat specialist). Bobcat's dealer-based distribution for compact equipment and outdoor power products mirrors SWI's go-to-market structure for the commercial contractor segment.
• Ariens Company: Manufacturer of premium outdoor power equipment (Ariens, Gravely, Parker brands) with established dealer distribution model. Ariens targets the same professional and high-end residential segments as SWI's portfolio, with comparable premium positioning and dealer-direct sales approach.

Others

• Briggs & Stratton: Major small engine and outdoor power equipment manufacturer serving as upstream supplier/category participant. Comparable as a player in the broader OPE value chain but more focused on engine manufacturing and OEM supply rather than competing directly with SWI's distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Cub Cadet (MTD Products): Large outdoor power equipment manufacturer with extensive dealer network serving homeowner and professional segments. Comparable in product categories (mowers, tractors, snow blowers) but operates at significantly larger scale with broader portfolio and consumer-direct retail channels alongside dealer distribution.
• John Deere: Major equipment manufacturer with extensive North American dealer network for lawn & garden equipment. Comparable dealer model and product categories but operates at massive scale with stronger brand recognition, broader product portfolio (including ag and construction), and substantial financial resources.
• The Toro Company: Large outdoor power equipment and turf maintenance manufacturer with established dealer network. Comparable in OPE space (mowers, trimmers, snow blowers, irrigation) but significantly larger, publicly traded, and with broader B2B and consumer channels beyond independent dealer distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWI1966
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/stevenwillandinctube
• Facebookfacebook.com/StevenWillandInc
• Instagraminstagram.com/stevenwillandinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steven-willand-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steven Willand