Tonka is a Minnesota toy company best known for its toy trucks and construction equipment. It was founded in 1946 as Mound Metalcraft. The original plan was to manufacture garden tools but the first product was a metal tie-rack. In 1947, the company began producing pressed-steel toys and in 1955 changed its name to Tonka Toys Inc. The Dakota Sioux word "Tanka" or "Tonka" means "Great" or "Big," honoring nearby Lake Minnetonka.