FireFly Automatix Launches New Self-Propelled, Hybrid Mower; North Salt Lake-based Robotic AgTech Company Aims to Continue Streak as Utah’s Fastest Growing Company

FireFly Automatix, Inc., named Utah’s fastest growing company in 2016 and 2017 by MountainWest Capital Network, today introduced its second automated AgTech machine: a revolutionary self-propelled, hybrid turf mower that enables the fastest precision cut possible, while decreasing the average cost per acre. The M220, an automated, high-performance mower, “represents a paradigm shift in turf farm mowing,” said Steve Aposhian, the company’s founder and CTO.

“Like our ProSlab turf harvester, the mower has been designed and purpose-built from the ground up to be the most efficient mowing machine on the market,” Aposhian said. “We’re in the business of creating value for our customers, and by combining proven best-of-breed technologies with new innovations, we deliver on that promise.”

According to FireFly CEO Andrew Limpert, increasing labor costs and labor shortages in areas previously flooded with available workers continue to threaten the future of farming in the United States and beyond, so automating manual repetitive tasks is critical to its survival. “While sod harvesting only happens once a year, it needs to be mowed weekly to keep it healthy, so we’ve expressly designed and built this mower from the engine to the decks for this specific and necessary task, with future versions offering even more autonomy,” Limpert said. “As a result, farmers can trust they will get a perfect cut every time without requiring increasingly scarce and costly labor.”

Unlike other industrial mowers, the M220 features:

· Front-mounted mowing decks for a 22-foot-wide precision cut (with speeds up to 10 mph) before anything runs over the turf.

· One-touch height adjustments, enabling operators to change the height while maintaining the precise level of the mower’s decks.

· High flotation tires and balanced design, which keep fields in great condition, minimizing soil compaction and rutting.

· No PTOs — The M220’s elegant design allows direct power transfer without gears and power take-off (PTO) shafts to wear out. Eliminating PTO’s provides increased safety, more efficient power, and decreased ongoing maintenance. No more belt slipping or greasing PTOs and U joints.

· Automated, adaptive speed control for optimal mowing speeds for each environment.

· A high comfort, high visibility, climate controlled cab that provides full heating and A/C, comfort suspension seating, Bluetooth stereo system and cup holders.

FireFly Automatix’ equipment brings increased productivity, fuel savings (50–75 percent less fuel burned than competitors) and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to agriculture. The company has advanced rapidly and is now the predominant U.S. provider to many of the country’s largest turf farms and is also serving a progressively growing international customer base, with its first non-U.S. dealership in Australia.