Brothers David and Stephen Hoff founded Hoffco in 1949. The company had its roots in a century-old Richmond, Indiana business owned by their father, Harry Hoff.
Working through their father's company, the Hoff brothers introduced the portable power Scythette in 1949.
The brothers and their father founded Hoffco to handle the power tool business. They developed attachments such as a brush saw, chain saw, rotary tiller, rotary trimmer, sickle bar cutter and a chain saw.
By 1962 the company employed 100 people was was making clutches, brakes, axles and wheel assembles.
In 1964 the Hoffs began patenting blade brake clutches for lawnmowers.
George Ballas came to the Hoffs seeking help with his invention - the Weedeater. Hoffco designed and built all the power Weedeaters from 1972 to 1978,when the brand was sold to Emerson Electric.
In the 1980s Hoffco was manufacturing more than 200 products and held more than 100 patents.
In the 1990s Hoffco employed about 200 people with an excess of 17 million in annual sales.
The industry was sold to the Tenax Corporation in 1993 and in 1999 the company had 1,000 customers in 40 countries. In addition to their own products, they produced parts and products for John Deere, Homelite and Snapper.
Richmond, Indiana.
Tenax closed the 60 year old Hoffco plant in 2009.
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