The Home Depot Exclusive Supplier RYOBI Leads the Cordless Power Industry with a Focus on Sustainability
Originally published on Built From Scratch
RYOBI began selling cordless power tools nearly 30 years ago and has since grown into a sustainability leader in the battery-powered lawn and garden industry. They became an exclusive partner of The Home Depot in 2000 and continue to innovate every single year on new cordless power technology.
RYOBI’s state-of-the-art Innovation Center in Anderson, South Carolina, showcases the company’s sustainability and product efforts. The facility produces more than 430,000 units of outdoor power equipment each year with a focus on battery-powered tools, as RYOBI works to reduce their carbon footprint, lower noise pollution and eventually eliminate the need for gas-powered equipment.
“We’ve focused recent efforts on using recycled materials, when possible, in plastic, cardboard, and metal components,” says Steve Holland, executive vice president of product management of RYOBI outdoor products, Techtronic Industries. “Additionally, we have worked to reduce the size and weight of our tools while maintaining power to reduce transportation emissions and material consumption.”
RYOBI is also leading the industry in noise reduction. The Whisper Series provides users with convenient, powerful solutions at low decibel levels running on lithium batteries. These products reduce noise while delivering the power of traditional outdoor gas equipment.
“We’re proud to have RYOBI as an exclusive partner of The Home Depot. Their dedication and innovation to the battery-powered space continues to bring our customers exciting, new products to help with any project,” says Jim Recore, Home Depot’s vice president of merchandising. “RYOBI continues to improve power and run time every season, and we’re always excited to bring that innovation to our stores and our customers, especially in time for our busy spring season.”
As the company enters its third decade of being sold exclusively at The Home Depot, they’re now in the process of expanding their South Carolina facility. They plan to produce the vast majority of the RYOBI walk behind mowers each year in South Carolina.
To learn about The Home Depot’s commitment to suppliers and sustainability efforts, check out the 2022 ESG Report and highlights.
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