Briggs and Stratton Adds Industry Veterans to its Commercial Power Team

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 07 -- Briggs and Stratton Corporation is adding two commercial engine industry veterans to its Commercial Power sales team.  The Company is pleased to announce the addition of Randy Lockyear as its Senior Director of Commercial Sales. Lockyear will oversee sales in North America of the corporation's commercial engines, notably its Vanguard™ brand of engines.  In addition, Rick Wendt has joined the Company as Director of Commercial Sales, focusing on the light construction and utility commercial business.

Randy Lockyear comes to Briggs and Stratton from Kawasaki Motors Corp., where he spent more than 20 years in a variety of leadership positions, most recently as National Sales Manager North American/Australian Engine Sales.  Rick Wendt comes to the Company from American Honda Motor Company, Inc., where he spent more than 30 years in multiple leadership roles within that organization, most recently as National OEM Sales Manager for Honda engines.

"Randy and Rick are both respected leaders in the commercial and industrial engine community  and we're excited to have them lead our commercial sales team," said Joe Wright, Senior Vice President and President, Briggs and Stratton engines group.  "We have made significant investments in commercial engine innovation and product offerings over the past few years.  The addition of Randy and Rick, with their deep industry knowledge, significantly enhances the strength of our commercial sales team and reinforces our commitment to growing our commercial engine business and profitability."

About Briggs and Stratton Corporation

Briggs and Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment.  Its wholly owned subsidiaries include North America's number one marketer of portable generators and pressure washers, and it is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lawn and garden and turf care through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris®, Murray®, Branco® and Victa® brands. Briggs and Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents. 

About Briggs and Stratton Commercial Power

Briggs and Stratton® Commercial Power is a leading provider of commercial engine solutions. The Vanguard engine family is the Company's premier line of gasoline, and liquid propane powered single cylinder and V-Twin engines from 5.5 to 36 gross horsepower that power commercial lawnmowers, light construction equipment, utility vehicles, generators, pumps and a variety of other commercial and industrial applications.

Kawasaki's New "Critical Power" Engine Ratings Clarify Horsepower Output for Consumers

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Aug. 25, 2011)---Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Engine and Power Products Division will begin rating its engines next month in accordance with SAE J2723.  This marks a broad departure for the industry and Kawasaki officials believe this Critical Power rating will alleviate end user confusion over horsepower labeling and “usable” power.

The new move to Critical Power ratings will not reflect the wide tolerance that is currently permitted by SAE J1940, which has been the generally applied industry standard.  This new, stringent testing and rating method will assure consumers that they are receiving the power they expect for their application needs.

Purchasers of Kawasaki powered lawn care and other maintenance equipment can be assured that the production engines will produce at least 98% of their rated values, not the 15 percent potential variable permitted under SAE J1940.

SAE J2723 rating methodology, in combination with SAE J1995 Gross Power testing procedures witnessed by global testing agency, TÜV Rheinland Group, provides an accurate assessment for real world equipment applications for the engines.  The agency verifies sample models from specific Kawasaki engine series.

Company officials said that end users of original equipment products using engines from various manufacturers have suffered from uncertainty and confusion when comparing and making purchase decisions based on claimed horsepower ratings.

Kawasaki will stress performance and integrity in ratings through reliance on the very strict SAE J2723 standard.  It is, according to the company, better suited to accommodate Kawasaki’s advanced engine and manufacturing technologies.  

None of the newly rated engines will exhibit performance differences when compared to current engines being sold. 

Many of the company’s engines are produced by Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in Maryville, MO.  Others are built at parent company facilities in Japan and Southeast Asia.

The company’s leadership position in this effort to clarify the engine purchase process for consumers represents a major step forward for the industry.

Kawasaki Engines and Power Products, a division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., distributes gasoline engines and professional handheld power products for landscape, industrial and consumer markets. The division is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., and services customers through its network of more than 8,000 independent dealers throughout the United States, Canada, and U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, including Guam.