The robot lawn mower manufacturer, which has grown in North Texas, buys up competitors and strengthens the partnership with the Swedish giant Husqvarna

Robin Autopilot USA, a North Texas based robotic lawnmower manufacturer, is acquiring a Husqvarna-backed competitor with 16 franchises.

As part of the deal for Mowbot, Husqvarna will expand its partnership with Robin. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Husqvarna, a Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products, is a major investor in Mowbot and an equity partner of Robin. Mowbot is known as “Mowbot Powered by Robin”.

Mowbot’s 12 employees in Durham, NC will be relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth, where Robin is looking for a permanent location for his US headquarters. Robin is based in Irving but is considering locations in Plano, Frisco and McKinney, said Ellen Bruno, vice president of operations for the company.

The number of employees at the combined company – which is now around 50 – is expected to grow to 120 by the second year, Bruno said in an email.

Lawn maintenance is a US $ 110 billion market and sales of robotic mowers popular in Europe are growing by 30% annually.

“We believe that robotic technology will play a rapidly growing role in the future of lawn care,” said Robert McCutcheon, President of Husqvarna North America, in a statement.

According to Bruno, Robin expects sales to exceed $ 6.5 million in 2021. The company expects to sell 5,000 robots this year.

The business is led by Robin Holdings under the direction of Logan Fahey, Chief Executive Officer. Robin was acquired by Cleveland-based Fahey Group in 2019.

Robin started in 2017 with a zero-emission robotic lawnmower service and a unique subscription-based model. Subscription plans are sold that include services such as lawn care, maintenance, repairs, and theft protection. The machines, which are similar to Roombas, are programmed to work independently and run by an invisible cable system.