Briggs and Stratton Joins SmartEquip Network

October 10 -- Briggs and Stratton, the world’s largest producer of gas engines for lawn mowers, snow blowers, portable generators, pressure washers and other outdoor equipment, announced that it is joining the SmartEquip Network to provide electronic parts and service support and procurement. Also coming on board the network is Class C Solutions Group, formerly known as Barnes Distribution North America, a supplier of vendor-managed inventory programs to the construction equipment industry, which will provide integrated parts support and procurement.

“Briggs and Stratton continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving process and transactional efficiencies for its customers,” said Doug Dougherty, vice president of North America service sales for Briggs and Stratton. “By joining the SmartEquip Network, we are extending our electronic product support capabilities, and our parts-ordering efficiencies, directly into the operating platforms of our customers, delivering real savings and improving equipment uptime.”

“Briggs and Stratton’s fleet presence across the market shows the potential for tremendous savings for the industry,” said Mike Kendall, SmartEquip director of OEM business development. “We very much welcome the partnership opportunity to support this significant new equipment footprint.”

CCSG executives were equally pleased to be part of SmartEquip. “CCSG is committed to providing vendor managed inventory supply chain solutions that lower total costs for MRO consumables,” said Ray Rutledge, managing director of CCSG. “By joining the SmartEquip Network, we can extend those solutions directly into the operating platforms of our customers, delivering significant savings and improving equipment uptime. We think this is an excellent combination that will create value for all SmartEquip Network members.”

“Class C Solutions Group’s use of lean principles for vendor managed inventory offers the potential for tremendous savings across the industry,” added Kendall. “We very much welcome the partnership opportunity to provide additional transactional efficiency gains to our network customers.”

Rental companies and equipment fleets utilizing SmartEquip’s e-FleetPro technology can anticipate the availability of both Briggs and Stratton and Class C Solutions Group parts and service support information on the SmartEquip Network in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Briggs and Stratton Corp., headquartered in Milwaukee, includes such brands as Simplicity, Snapper, SnapperPro, Ferris, Murray, Branco and Victa. The company’s products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in more than 100 countries on six continents.

Class C Solutions Group specializes in inventory management for small but essential consumables, offering more than 1 million items from about 3,000 suppliers.

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