The Toro Co. this week was the official provider of utility vehicles for the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Paradein New York City.

Storr Tractor Co., a Toro distributor based in Branchburg, N.J., provided 45 Toro Workman MD Series utility vehicles for use during the annual parade. The fleet helped guide the balloons down the 2.5-mile parade route.

The balloons were anchored to Toro Workman utility vehicles and flown under the direction of pilots and captains. “Storr has provided Workman vehicles to guide the balloons in the Parade and transport people for nine years,” said Ken Indyk, sales director of commercial equipment at Storr Tractor. “There is an incredible amount of teamwork and coordination that takes place to navigate these amazing balloons.”

In addition to the flying balloons, the Macy’s parade also included Balloonicles — self-powered balloon vehicles designed around a Toro Workman as the base — the Energizer Bunny, the Kool-Aid Man, the new Aflac Duck, and the Macy’s Christmas Ornaments.

Storr Tractor Co. has been providing Toro turf maintenance equipment in Long Island, and other areas of New York and New Jersey, since 1968.

Headquartered in Bloomington, Minn., Toro is a worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems.