Air Tractor Holdings has acquired the stock of Thrush Aircraft, combining founder Leland Snow’s original companies under one roof.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s the best path forward to ensure the long-term sustainability of Thrush and Air Tractor,” said Air Tractor CEO Jim Hirsch.
The transaction, which closed April 3, 2026, “creates a unified powerhouse in the aerial application industry while maintaining the independent operations of both brands,” according to Air Tractor officials.
“Air Tractor and Thrush will continue to operate as separate entities just as they do now,” said Hirsch. “We are ensuring these fleets are supported for the long term and are committing the resources necessary to ensure the viability of production lines in both Olney, Texas, and Albany, Georgia.”
Hirsch noted he has no plans to alter current operations, confirming that Thrush CEO Mark McDonald, CFO Clint Hubbard, and John Graber will remain in their roles.
“While the ag market has contracted some recently, considering all the markets we serve, the world needs more capacity to meet global demand,” said McDonald. “In a world where global food security increasingly depends on precision aerial application, crop protection efficiency and rapid wildfire suppression, both companies serve as indispensable assets. And we’re stronger together.”
“Our two companies share the same fundamental value proposition,” Hirsch added. “We are carrying forward Leland Snow’s vision of purpose-built, durable aircraft that are safe, pilot-friendly, and optimized for high-cycle, low-altitude operations.”
Leland Snow designed his first cropduster in 1951 when he was just 21 years old. By 1953 the aircraft was completed and test flown, and Snow began dusting and spraying crops. After four years of field trials, Snow founded the Snow Aeronautical Company and started production of the Snow S-2 at Olney, Texas. He sold the company to Rockwell-Standard in 1965, and as part of the deal became vice president of its Aero Commander division.
Rockwell eventually sold the design to the Ayres Corporation, which then sold it in 2003 to the Thrush Corporation in Georgia.
Meanwhile, back at the original headquarters in Olney, Texas, Air Tractor produces a line of eight aircraft that includes 400, 500, 600 and 800-gallon capacity airplanes powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engines. They are used for agricultural purposes, fighting wildfires, narcotic crop eradication, fuel-hauling to remote villages, fighting locust plagues, mosquito control, and cleaning up oil spills in coastal waters. Air Tractor aircraft can be found in more than 50 countries around the world, according to company officials.
For more information: AirTractor.com
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