The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
Company History
Scotts Miracle-Gro History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1868 in Marysville, Ohio, United States
When was Scotts Miracle-Gro founded?
Scotts Miracle-Gro was founded in 1868 in Marysville, Ohio, United States by Orlando McLean Scott, Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern, making it 158 years old.
- Founded
- 1868
- Founding place
- Marysville, Ohio, United States
- Founders
- Orlando McLean Scott, Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern
- Headquarters today
- Marysville, Ohio, United States
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1868–2026)
- Current CEO
- Nate Baxter
- Acquisitions
- 7
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1868 | O.M. Scott seed business begins |
| 1951 | Miracle-Gro begins |
| 1992 | Acquired Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company |
| 1993 | Acquired Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products Company |
| 1995 | Scotts and Miracle-Gro combine |
| 1995 | Acquired Stern's Miracle-Gro Products |
| 1996 | Charles M. Berger becomes CEO |
| 1999 | Ortho Acquired and Roundup Agreement |
| 2005 | Renamed Scotts Miracle-Gro |
| 2025 | Profit recovery year |
| 2026 | Hawthorne divested |
| 2026 | Nate Baxter named CEO |
- Where was Scotts Miracle-Gro founded?
- Scotts Miracle-Gro was founded in Marysville, Ohio, United States in 1868.
- Who founded Scotts Miracle-Gro?
- Scotts Miracle-Gro was founded by Orlando McLean Scott, Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern.
- When did Scotts Miracle-Gro start?
- Scotts Miracle-Gro was founded in 1868.
- How old is Scotts Miracle-Gro?
- Scotts Miracle-Gro is 158 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1868 Civil War veteran Orlando McLean Scott began selling cleaned, weed-free seed to farmers from Marysville, Ohio. The business later moved into consumer lawn seed and fertilizer. Separately, Horace Hagedorn and nurseryman Otto Stern launched Miracle-Gro plant food in 1951. Scotts and Miracle-Gro combined in 1995, and Horace's son Jim Hagedorn became CEO in 2001, leading the company until June 2026.
Founders
Orlando McLean Scott
Orlando McLean Scott was a Civil War veteran who founded the seed business O.M. Scott & Sons in Marysville, Ohio, in 1868. He sold mechanically cleaned, weed-free seed to farmers, building the reputation for seed quality that became the foundation of the Scotts brand. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Horace Hagedorn
Horace Hagedorn was an advertising executive who co-founded Miracle-Gro in 1951 with nurseryman Otto Stern. He built the brand through direct-response and broadcast advertising, and Miracle-Gro combined with Scotts in 1995. His family, through the Hagedorn Partnership, remains the largest shareholder. Horace Hagedorn was born in 1915 in Manhattan. Hagedorn was born in 1915 and died in 2005. An advertising executive, he co-founded the Miracle-Gro brand with Otto Stern and later bought out Stern's 50 percent interest.
Otto Stern
Otto Stern co-founded Stern's Miracle-Gro Products in 1951 alongside Horace Hagedorn. Running a small nursery business in New York, he partnered with Hagedorn (a brilliant advertising executive) to mass-market a revolutionary water-soluble fertilizer formulated by an orchid expert, laying the foundation for the massive Miracle-Gro brand. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
O.M. Scott seed business begins
Orlando McLean Scott founded the original premium seed business in Marysville, Ohio.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMiracle-Gro begins
Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern launched the Miracle-Gro plant food business.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company
Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company in 1992.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products Company
Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products Company in 1993.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgScotts and Miracle-Gro combine
The merger created the modern Scotts Miracle-Gro brand platform.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired Stern's Miracle-Gro Products
The Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Stern's Miracle-Gro Products.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCharles M. Berger becomes CEO
Charles M. Berger became CEO of The Scotts Miracle-Gro in 1996. Former Heinz executive who led Scotts before Jim Hagedorn took over in 2001.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgOrtho Acquired and Roundup Agreement
Scotts bought the Ortho brand from Monsanto in 1999 and became the exclusive marketer of consumer Roundup.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRenamed Scotts Miracle-Gro
The Scotts Company was renamed The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company in 2005.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgProfit recovery year
Fiscal 2025 net income recovered to $145.2 million while adjusted EBITDA reached $581.1 million.
Source: scottsmiraclegro.gcs-web.comHawthorne divested
Scotts completed the sale of Hawthorne Gardening to Vireo Growth.
Source: scottsmiraclegro.gcs-web.comNate Baxter named CEO
Nate Baxter succeeded Jim Hagedorn as CEO on June 29, 2026; Pete Shumlin became chairman.
Source: stocktitan.netMajor Acquisitions
Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company
1992Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Republic Tool & Manufacturing Company in 1992.
Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products Company
1993Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Grace-Sierra Horticultural Products Company in 1993.
Stern's Miracle-Gro Products
1995Attempting to expand its lucrative footprint beyond simple lawn seed into the liquid fertilizer market, Scotts executed a strategic mega-merger with Stern's Miracle-Gro.
Emerald Green Lawn Service
1997Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Emerald Green Lawn Service in 1997.
Sanford Scientific
1998Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Sanford Scientific in 1998.
Rhône-Poulenc Jardin
1998Scotts Miracle-Gro acquired Rhône-Poulenc Jardin in 1998.
Hawthorne Gardening (Hydroponic assets)
2015To address growth limitations in the stagnant traditional lawn care market, Scotts executed a strategic pivot, acquiring hydroponic suppliers to dominate the exploding legal cannabis sector.
Keep researching Scotts Miracle-Gro
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company History FAQ
When and where was The Scotts Company originally founded?
The company was founded in 1868 in Marysville, Ohio, by Civil War veteran Orlando McLean Scott as O.M. Scott & Sons, initially operating as an agricultural seed cleaning mill selling weed-free clover and grass seed to American farmers.
How did Scotts pioneer the suburban consumer lawn care market?
In 1916, Scotts shifted from agricultural seeds to suburban homeowners. In 1928, it launched "Turf Builder," the world's first specialized non-burning chemical lawn fertilizer, followed by the invention of the precision walk-behind lawn spreader in the 1930s.
What was the origin of Miracle-Gro before the merger?
Miracle-Gro was founded in 1951 in Long Island, New York, by advertising executive Horace Hagedorn and nurseryman Otto Stern. They pioneered water-soluble, blue-crystal plant food that delivered visible plant growth within days, promoted through revolutionary television and radio marketing.
When did Scotts and Miracle-Gro merge to create the modern company?
In May 1995, The Scotts Company merged with Stern's Miracle-Gro Products, Inc. in a landmark $200 million transaction, uniting North America's leading lawn fertilizer company with the top indoor/outdoor plant food brand to create The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
How did Scotts acquire Ortho and the consumer marketing rights to Roundup?
In 1998-1999, Scotts acquired the Ortho lawn and garden pesticide business from Monsanto for $300 million and negotiated the exclusive long-term global agency marketing agreement for consumer Roundup weed control products.
What was the ownership structure under ITT and Clayton Dubilier & Rice?
In 1971, industrial conglomerate ITT acquired O.M. Scott & Sons. In 1986, private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice orchestrated a $211 million leveraged buyout to take Scotts private, successfully taking the company public again on the NYSE in 1992.
What was the creation of The Hawthorne Gardening Company in 2014?
In 2014, under CEO Jim Hagedorn, Scotts established Hawthorne Gardening Company as a dedicated subsidiary to acquire premier hydroponic nutrients, lighting, and cultivation equipment brands to serve the rapidly expanding legal cannabis and indoor vertical farming industries.
What was the landmark acquisition of Sunlight Supply in 2018?
In 2018, Scotts acquired Sunlight Supply for $450 million through Hawthorne Gardening. The deal created the largest hydroponic supply and distribution network in North America, consolidating greenhouse lighting, ventilation, and nutrients under one roof.
How did Scotts Miracle-Gro navigate the COVID-19 pandemic surge and aftermath?
During the 2020-2021 pandemic lockdowns, millions of newly homebound consumers took up gardening, driving Scotts' sales to a record peak of $4.9 billion. However, post-pandemic demand normalization and a slump in commercial cannabis caused inventory gluts and financial strain in 2022-2023.
What was "Project Springboard" and how did it restructure the company?
Launched in late 2022, Project Springboard was an aggressive cost-reduction and debt-deleveraging program that eliminated over $300 million in annualized operating expenses, streamlined supply chains, reduced excess inventory by $400M+, and restored free cash flow.
What was Weed & Feed and when was it introduced?
In 1947, Scotts introduced "Scuttle" and subsequently Scotts "Weed & Feed," the world's first dual-action lawn product that combined selective chemical weed killer (2,4-D) with nitrogen fertilizer in a single granular application, eliminating the need to hand-pull dandelions.
Where is Scotts Miracle-Gro headquartered today?
Scotts Miracle-Gro maintains its global corporate headquarters, primary research greenhouses, and manufacturing campus on a sprawling 800-acre site in Marysville, Ohio, where the company has operated continuously since 1868.
Related Strategic History
Compare founding milestones and corporate evolution
Explore Scotts Miracle-Gro
Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.