In 1800, John Brinly, a blacksmithinSimpsonville, Kentucky built and sold cast iron plows to Kentucky farmers.[3] In 1837, his son Thomas Brinly, designed and built one of North America's first one-piece steel plows using a large saw blade. The new design largely replaced cast iron plows commonly used by farmers throughout the American South,[4] forcing Brinly to open manufacturing centers in numerous Southern cities.[3]
In 1859, Brinly moved the company headquarters to Louisville, Kentucky. And in 1863, he partnered with James Edward Hardy to create Brinly, Dodge and Hardy.[3] During the American Civil War, federal troops destroyed several of Brinly's manufacturing and retail outlets throughout the South as he was a Confederate sympathizer. Rather than rebuild, the company consolidated in Louisville and grew its product line.[3][4] In 1900, the name Brinly-Hardy Company was adopted.[4] In 1902, Thomas Brinly died and James E. Hardy was named president.
Between 1980 and 1984, Brinly-Hardy shifted its current focus to manufacturing lawn care equipment.[5] In 1996, James E. Hardy's great-great-granddaughter,[4] Jane W. Hardy, became CEO of Brinly-Hardy Company.[6] And in 1999, the company moved its facilities across the Ohio River to Jeffersonville, Indiana to make room for Louisville Slugger field.[6] In August 2008, Brinly-Hardy acquired Spyker Spreaders,[citation needed] manufacturers of commercial-grade broadcast spreaders and outdoor power equipment.[7]
Brinly-Hardy products are distributed and sold throughout the United States at local retailers and chain home improvement stores [2] such as Home Depot as well as online retail outlets like Amazon.
