Bloomington, Minn.-based The Toro Co. last week announced that Peter Ramstad will join the company as vice president of business and strategic development, effective Nov. 28. Ramstad is currently employed by Personnel Decisions International, where he founded the firm’s strategy practice and most recently served as its executive vice president-strategy and finance. The newly created position will oversee new business growth opportunities and strategic development efforts to support the company’s long-term revenue growth objectives.

Toro’s Center for Advanced Turf Technology — an internal research and development team dedicated to exploring and commercializing advanced technologies such as agronomics, alternative fuels, and robotics — will report to Ramstad. In addition, he will play an important role in Toro’s leadership development, an area where he has worked with many clients and universities while at PDI, a leading firm in the field.

“Pete is a highly regarded professional who brings broad strategic perspective to this position,” said Michael Hoffman, chairman and CEO of Toro. “He has worked extensively with many public companies, including Toro, to strengthen their strategic development. His expertise will serve us well as we propel the organization forward.” Toro is a global provider of outdoor beautification products, support services and integrated solutions.