Atco
Over a Century of British Mowing Excellence
Atco holds a unique place in the history of garden machinery: the brand is responsible for producing the world’s first mass-produced petrol lawnmower. The story begins with Charles Henry Pugh, a Birmingham industrialist who, in 1921, turned a practical problem — the death of a factory donkey used to power a mower — into a moment of transformative innovation. Charles H. Pugh Ltd launched the Atco motor mower that year, and within five years annual production had reached tens of thousands. The name Atco itself derives from the Atlas Chain Company, another Pugh business, with the letters small enough to stamp on the side of each chain link — and so a legendary brand was born.
From royal palaces and village greens to cricket pitches and tennis courts, Atco mowers have maintained the green spaces that define British outdoor life. The iconic Atco green — a shade lighter than British racing green — has been a familiar sight in gardens and grounds across the country since the 1920s.
Today, as part of the STIGA Group, Atco combines its century-long heritage with modern engineering and innovation with its products built to the exacting standards that customers have come to associate with the Atco name.
Choosing an Atco means choosing a piece of British horticultural history — a machine designed to deliver that perfect lawn finish season after season.
