Greenworks launches Optimus Crew pro equipment line

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Yin Chen CEO and chairman of Greenworks. “We took 10 years in the commercial side to get where we are. Finally, we are here.”

Chen and his Greenworks team hosted industry media for a day of product reveals and discussions at the company’s testing grounds near its manufacturing facility in Morristown, Tenn. Our visit followed an internal sales meeting they held earlier in the week.

“The last four days, the people sitting in your seats are people who used to work for Stihl, for Husqvarna, Echo, Toro, you name it. Every major brand. These are hard people to crack. And after the last four days, the energy level is so high. We were able to convince our 50 tough sales guys and now we feel confident to present to you this Optimus program,” said Chen. 

“So starting from today, we’re going to tell the world. Landscapers can be converted to battery,” he said. 

Optimus Program

Chen called Optimus Crew “the first comprehensive problem end-to-end solution, total solution” for landscape professionals. “To convince them, to move that person from gas to battery, you cannot be one product, you cannot be one category. You have to be the whole solution. Otherwise, it’s a fragmented approach, it doesn’t work,” he said. 

For Chen, the importance of the green initiative cannot be overstated. “We never touch gas,” he said. “From the very beginning, Greenworks has represented green initiative. We don’t want to be associated with gas.”

He shared a story of a landscape professional in Long Beach, Calif., whose employer switched to Greenworks Commercial equipment. And that pro cutter, Jorge, told Chen a story about his years of use with gas-powered equipment. At the end of the workday, his wife would make him change clothes in the garage because she didn’t want the gasoline smell in the house. 

“This organization’s purpose is to give Jorge the system so he never needs to do that again,” said Chen. “One year ago, we did not talk about this because we didn’t have the whole solution. So finally, we have everything. Today, we can tell every Jorge around the country about Optimus Crew. And when you go home, you can go straight inside because you smell like nature.”

Four Things

Chen and Greenworks want to prove that their commercial battery-powered equipment meets four parameters. 

• As powerful as a gas engine
• As lightweight as gas equipment 
• Able to last more than a tank of gas

• Able to take care of the charging solution

Chen chose the word “Optimus” because in Latin it means “best.”

“Throughout the development of the zero-turn mower, I used the word ‘optimal,’” said Chen. He said they worked for the best possible design in every stage. “Are we getting optimal design?” Chen said he threw away three battery designs, “and each time it cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the time,” he said. “I said, no, it is not the best design. That’s why “Optimus” brand. It’s just so natural. Ever since, we use that world to challenge our team. Is it optimal design?” 

The Greenworks Optimus program includes several new products, including:

• Optimus Z zero-turn mowers, both sit-on and stand-on
• Optimus ATM all-terrain mowers with dual rear-wheel motors, in 22-in. and 30-in. sizes
• Optimus string trimmers
• Optimus hedge trimmers
• Optimus chain saws, including the High-Output Gasless (HOG) saw, with up-to 28-in. bar
• Optimus Core batteries and chargers

Battery OPE Origin

Chen started Greenworks in 2002; he called it “a humble start.” He said, “I borrowed the money from my sister in the UK for the first capital. And then later, I paid her back in a big way, that was the first capital started in this company. In 2004, I left the work I had in Shanghai and just focused 100% on this organization.” 

Since 2004, Chen has been CEO and chairman of the company. His first customer was Canadian Tire; the company bought five private label battery powered mowers from him. In 2007, when that same buyer visited Chen in Asia, he “had a secret weapon.” It was a 20V, 6 amp-hour lithium battery. “I took that brick from under the table and I said, ‘this is the future of this industry. This battery will power trimmers, chainsaws, blowers. He was sold.’”

In 2009, Chen created the Greenwoods brand. “Before then, we were always doing business for the retailer under the private label,” he said. But he realized the private label did not represent where he wanted to be. 

Replace Gas

“We want to be able to replace gas one day,” Chen said, remembering those early days. He chose the name Greenworks then, and said, of course, “the color has to be green.” 

Chen said that Greenworks was the first to launch a battery-powered mower, with a 40-volt Greenworks born in 2010. “And at the same time, we had a customer called Ryobi. We were basically doing OEM business for Ryobi, with the 18V and 40V program done by us,” he said. 

Editor’s note: The history of battery-powered mowers is a rich one, with stories of lead-acid battery creations mowing lawns in the 1950s.

Chen said that in 2014, “we represented 17% of battery OPE manufacturing in North America. A big portion of that is OEM, with TTI for Home Depot, under Ryobi. and the rest is on the Greenworks brand in Lowe’s and Amazon and in many retail partners. 

Greenworks is now in 11,000 retail outlets, “a very strong number three on the consumer side.” Chen said he is not happy with that position. “But because of the sales channel, that’s probably not going to change any time soon. But we are everywhere – in Lowes, in Costco, in Walmart, in Tractor supply, in Best Buy, in Menards.”


In 2016, Chen started the Greenworks Commercial business. “We also say, there is no way the dealers can compete with big box stores,” he said. “That’s why we created the Greenworks 82V battery.” This battery is different from Greenworks 80V and will not be compatible with Greenworks Commercial 82V because we reserve Greenworks Commercial for the dealer channel only. We feel that’s fair to support dealers.”

Chen calls this a long-term investment, even though he knows that manufacturing people don’t like the idea. “Why are we creating something uniquely for them? Because we know it’s right in the long term and will pay off. This organization always wants to do the right thing.”