Equipment & Engine Training Council Partners with OPEI on the "Look Before You Pump" Ethanol Education Campaign

ALEXANDRIA, Va., -- Jan. 6 -- The Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) has joined forces with the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) in the 'Look Before You Pump' campaign, an ethanol education and consumer protection program. The campaign reminds consumers to always use fuels containing no greater than ten percent ethanol (E10) when powering their outdoor power equipment or other non-road product, such as boats, snowmobiles and motorcycles, not designed for higher ethanol fuel blends.

The EETC is a non-profit association addressing the shortage of qualified technicians in the outdoor power equipment industry. Under the partnership with OPEI,  EETC will distribute 'Look Before You Pump' messaging and materials to its membership and other stakeholders.

Created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers, the 'Look Before You Pump' campaign is most known by its emblematic prominent, red warning hand symbol indicating 'OK' for 10 percent ethanol and 'No' for mid-level ethanol blends (such as E15, E30, E85).  The campaign was launched in October 2013, in response to higher ethanol blended fuels being made available in the marketplace for 'flex-fuel' automobiles, and to warn consumers not to inadvertently mis-fuel their small engine products not designed to handle these higher ethanol fuel blends.

"Our ethanol education campaign has made great strides in educating consumers about proper fueling behavior," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. "People need to use the right fuel in the right product. But the fuels marketplace is changing and mis-fueling is more possible than ever. The Look Before You Pump campaign is designed to mitigate that risk."

According to Erik Sides, Executive Director of EETC, "It just makes sense to partner with OPEI in educating the consumer on proper fueling of outdoor power equipment. EETC member dealers, distributors and technicians will be the ones diagnosing and repairing the equipment that was mis-fueled."

Last year, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association also joined forces with OPEI in spreading the campaign messaging. In addition, major retail outlets including Lowe's, Walmart and True Value, as well as independent dealers, began using the 'Look Before You Pump' message in their stores and in customer circulars and catalogs.

OPEI, EETC, ISMA and NMMA urge consumers to read their equipment operating manual before fueling engines to ensure they use the right gasoline. For more information, visit www.LookBeforeYouPump.com and search for #LookB4UPump on Twitter and Facebook.

A summer 2013 OPEI/Harris Interactive study shows the vast majority of Americans (71 percent) are "not at all sure" if it is illegal or legal to put high level ethanol gas (i.e., anything greater than 10 percent ethanol) into engines such as those in boats, mowers, chain saws, snowmobiles, generators and other engine products.

About OPEI  The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers of consumer and commercial outdoor power equipment.  The OPEI Education Foundation is the creative force behind TurfMutt.com. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the development of safety and performance standards. OPEI is the managing partner of GIE+EXPO, the industry's annual industry tradeshow. For more information, visit www.OPEI.org.

About: Equipment & Engine Training Council Inc.  Founded in 1997, the Equipment & Engine Training Council Inc. is a non-profit association whose goal is to address the shortage of qualified service technicians in the outdoor power equipment industry. Made up of more than 3500 industry professionals including manufacturers, distributors, dealers, associations, technicians and educators the EETC is striving to create professional outdoor power equipment technicians for today's sophisticated outdoor power equipment products. In order to meet these needs the association has developed the EETC Technician Certification program to measure the skill level of repair technicians working in the industry today. They have also developed the EETC School Accreditation program to establish industry standards and provide a network of industry support for high schools and colleges that have or looking to start an outdoor power equipment program training future technicians. To learn more about the EETC, visit www.eetc.org.