Ken Melrose

Kendrick "Ken" B. Melrose, former chairman and CEO of The Toro Co., died Sunday May 3 2020 at the age of 79, according to an announcement by Toro. Melrose started his 35-year career at Bloomington-based Toro in 1970, rising to president in 1981. After being named CEO in December 1983, he led the company to record results through a challenging financial period. Melrose oversaw a number of acquisitions over his 21-year tenure as CEO including Wheel Horse, Exmark, Lawn-Boy and Hayter. By the time he retired in 2005, Toro's sales had grown from $247 million to $1.7 billion.