Jeffersonville, In. – Since 1839, Brinly-Hardy Company has been a leader in innovative lawn and garden products, and in 2024, they are celebrating their 185th year!
The history of Brinly-Hardy is an interesting one, tracing all the way back to “Little John Brinly,” a blacksmith from Simpsonville, Kentucky. He first crafted the “Brinly” plow with a wooden moldboard, cast iron front, point and heel bolt around 1805. From there the family tradition continued, as his son, Mr. T.E.C. Brinly, created a one-piece steel plow from a saw blade. This was considered the first manufactured steel plow in this region of the country. The popularity of his innovative plows spread through farms across Kentucky and beyond. The story goes that he even entered his plow into hundreds of fairs and contests, and it never lost a competition. In 1859, Mr. Brinly moved his plow factory to Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1863, Mr. James Edward Hardy joined the firm. By 1900, the company name was incorporated as Brinly-Hardy Company.
“Our longevity is attributable to our storied 185-year history of innovation and customer focus.” says Chief Operating Officer, Judy Splan-Larin. “We definitely are a team here at Brinly and we have a real sense of pride in knowing we are a part of Brinly’s continuing story as we help shape its future success.”
Jordan White, VP of Sales and Marketing, agrees that innovation has been key. “We are always looking for ways to make our products easier to use for our customers,” says White. “Brinly is famous for inventing combination products like the Dethatcher-Sweeper and the Aerator-Spreader that do two tasks at the same time. That gives us an advantage. Combining our quality history with creative designs is a can’t-miss strategy.”
Since 1900, the Brinly-Hardy family line has continued to run the company, all the way down to Jane W. Hardy, who became President in 1994 and is still at the helm today. In 1998, Brinly-Hardy Company moved across the river from their original location in downtown Louisville (which is now the Slugger Field Baseball stadium) and settled into their current home. Since then, Brinly-Hardy has been providing great products, parts, and service from their headquarters in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
“If I had to pick one thing that has kept us successful – I’d say great people. That includes great customers and team members, and also supplier partners. And it has a lot to do with ethics – doing the right thing when it isn’t easy, quick, or even maybe as profitable. We’ve literally been here through several wars, depressions, booms, recessions, and pandemics. If we make the right, people-focused decisions, we win together,” says Hardy.
Brinly-Hardy Company continues to be a leading manufacturer and designer of lawn and garden products; including spreaders, dethatchers, carts, aerators, and more. They design and provide outdoor products for both residential and commercial use, and for the top brands in outdoor equipment including Brinly, Spyker, Lesco, and John Deere. When asked about where she sees the company heading, Hardy says, “There is significant industry shift to bigger machines and electric power equipment; we are working hard to make sure we stay on top of that and remain relevant to our 200th birthday and beyond.”
To learn more about Brinly-Hardy Company and its 185-year journey, please visit Brinly.com or contact Kaitlyn Garcia at Kgarcia@brinly.com.
