Bad Boy Mowers to Expand in Batesville, AK

March 1 -- Bad Boy Mowers, a manufacturer of a variety of zero-turn mowers and multi-terrain vehicles (MTV), today announced plans to expand its operations in Batesville, where the company is also headquartered. Bad Boy will invest $7.4 million and add 150 positions, bringing Bad Boy’s total employment in Arkansas to more than 550 people. Through this expansion, Bad Boy will add to its MTV manufacturing capacity.

Bad Boy Mowers are now manufactured, assembled and stored in multiple facilities comprising over 650,000 square feet in Batesville and Melbourne, Arkansas.

“Bad Boy Mowers is a homegrown Arkansas company that continues to grow thanks to an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong, committed workforce,” Governor Mike Beebe said. “Bad Boy and Batesville have brought each other success in recent years, and I’m glad to see this relationship continue to strengthen.”

Bad Boy was established in 1998 in Diaz, Arkansas and began production at its current Batesville location in 2002. The company has experienced several expansions in its short history.

Bad Boy co-owners Phil Pulley and Robert Foster attribute the company’s continued growth and success to the superior quality of the company’s products, and most importantly to the exceptional workforce responsible for designing and producing those products.

“We have a family atmosphere and a team spirit second to none, and a group of hard working, talented, and extremely dedicated employees that have made us what we are, allowing us to continue to grow and expand,” Pulley stated. “We like to say that our products are built Bad Boy tough and Batesville proud,” Foster added.

Bad Boy currently manufactures 33 versions of zero-turn mowers. These include the AOS Diesel Series, the Outlaw and Outlaw Extreme, the MZ Series and ZT Series.

Bad Boy currently manufactures six versions of MTVs. As a result of this expansion, ten new MTVs will be added, bringing total MTV models created by Bad Boy to 16. These include a variety of gasoline, diesel and electric models with two and four seat variations. These are produced specifically for agricultural, industrial, recreational or high-performance purposes.

“On behalf of Independence County, I can’t show enough appreciation to both the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Governor’s Office for their work in making this expansion happen,” said Independence County Judge Robert Griffin. “In the spirit of partnership, we will work to contribute funding from the county level in order to enhance the project to allow the maximum number of jobs to be created locally.”

Mowers and MTVs produced by Bad Boy are available through dealers throughout the United States as well as Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

www.arktimes.com 

Toro Plans 450,000 Square-Foot Iowa Warehouse Near Des Moines, IA

Minneapolis -- March 19 -- The Toro Co. is working with Ryan Cos. U.S. Inc. to develop a 450,000-square-foot distribution center near Des Moines, Iowa.

The proposed warehouse is in Ankeny, about 10 miles north of Des Moines along Interstate 35. Boomington-based Toro and Minneapolis-based Ryan have a proposal for tax increment financing on the Ankeny City Council agenda Monday night.

The 32-acre site is at 5500 Delaware Ave. SE., close to other distribution centers and some car dealerships.

Toro, which makes mowers, irrigation supplies and a variety of power equipment such as snowthrowers and leaf blowers, has several manufacturing facilities that would probably ship their goods to the center. They include plants in Windom, Minn., Beatrice, Neb., and Juarez, Mexico.

It isn't clear what impact the new development will have on Toro's finished goods distribution center in Lakeville.

Ryan was selected for the Ankeny project through a competitive process with other contractors. Toro and Ryan also teamed up in 2010 to develop a $11.5 million distribution center in Tomah, Wis., for Toro's lawn and garden equipment.

Ankeny officials have crafted a economic development package for Toro that involves an unspecified amount of tax increment financing, according to its meeting agendas.

Officials at Toro, Ryan and Ankeny's economic development department couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

 www.bizjournals.com

Who Made That Lawn Mower

March 16 -- Before a British inventor named Edwin Beard Budding conceived of the mower, the cropped lawn was the province of the landed gentry, who would employ teams of men to trim grass with scythes. But lawn care was far from Budding’s mind when he invented the push mower. 

His original brief was to solve a mechanical problem for a clothing mill regarding the production of guardsmen’s uniforms. Budding was asked to come up with a way to “cut all the tufts and bobbly bits off the nap of the cloth,” writes Brian Radam in “Lawn Mowers and Grasscutters: A Complete Guide.” Budding soon realized the device had other applications. In 1830, he filed a patent for a machine that, when pushed and pulled, would cause a cylindrical blade to rotate over a stationary shear, cutting grass and collecting the clippings. The mower may have put the scythe men out of work, but it enabled the English fashion for grass carpets.

By the mid-19th century, the style made its way to America. The timing was propitious. Frederick Law Olmsted was in the midst of his master plan for Central Park, golf was becoming popular and lawn tennis was about to be invented. And with the Budding push mower, affluent Americans now had the means to emulate the precision of British landscaping.

TAMING THE SUBURBAN WILDS

Gas-powered lawn mowers were introduced not long after the automobile in the 1920s, but it was with the explosion of the suburbs after the Second World War that the lawn mower came into its own. The 1950s heralded the spread of riding mowers and the dominance of the rotary blade. The rotary was less precise than the old cylindrical variety, but it was cheaper to manufacture and good enough for North America’s coarse grass.

Today lawn care is a multibillion-dollar industry, yet a certain environmental anxiety has bloomed as well. According to the E.P.A., a lawn mower operating for one hour produces the same amount of pollution as a car driven for 45 miles. Which is possibly why the old-style push mower has enjoyed a comeback among the eco-conscious. And the modern reel mowers like the Brill Razorcut or the Fiskars Momentum, despite ergonomic handgrips and sealed bearings, are in essence no different from what Edwin Budding envisioned almost 200 years ago.

 www.nytimes.com  

The Importance of Green Space is Growing

Husqvarna Group – March 14 -- The importance of green space is growing - Urban green spaces have positive effects on health, integration and economy

As the world's population is drawn to ever-growing cities, the importance of green spaces is increasing. The Global Garden Report from Husqvarna Group confirms that urban green spaces have positive effects on people's health, stimulate a city's economy, raise community spirit and further social integration. Maintaining our public green spaces has never been more important.

The world is experiencing a rapid urbanization. In 2008, mankind crossed an historic barrier when, for the first time in history, there were more people living in urban areas than in rural. By 2050, it is estimated that over 6 billion people, two thirds of humanity, will be living in urban environments.

As cities grow denser, green spaces are diminishing. In London they are lost at a rate of two and a half Hyde Parks per year, with the effect that the oxygen levels have gone down. The same trends can be seen in other places in the world, for instance in Ho Chi Minh City where the amount of green spaces has shrunk by half in only ten years.

- More people in our international study believe that the amount of green spaces in their city has declined over the last 10 years than that it has increased. Similarly, people believe that tomorrow's cities will contain fewer green spaces rather than more, says Gunilla Gustavs, Head of External Communications at Husqvarna Group.

- With this report, we at Husqvarna Group want to help raise awareness as to the importance of urban green spaces for our cities, says Gustavs.

The Multifaceted Health Benefits Of Green Spaces

Green spaces have several positive effects on one's well-being; both physiological and psychological. Hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows, and children living in urban an environment without greenery find it harder to concentrate in school. The study from Husqvarna shows that simply being outdoors in green spaces helps reduce stress and anxiety, and also encourages exercise.

- A majority of respondents believed that they would exercise more if they had access to good green areas near home or work, says Gustavs.

As public places that everyone can enjoy regardless of background, parks and green spaces play an important societal role; they make neighborhoods more attractive, they contribute to the community spirit and they actually further social integration.

- Green spaces play an important societal role. In our survey, 87% of all respondents believed that having access to a good green area could have a positive effect on the neighborhood or community spirit, and 61 % says that they would pay more for a house or apartment that is near to good green spaces, says Gustavs.

Maintenance Is Key

But at the same time, poor maintenance on green spaces can have an opposite effect. Lack of safety, 56%, together with vandalism and poor maintenance, 51%, was the most frequently mentioned reasons deterring respondents from visiting green spaces.

- Green spaces require a more regular upkeep in order to benefit the community, and in times of economic turbulence cities are more hesitant to provide ample funding and support. We must find a way of meeting this challenge. The combination of all of the positive effects that green areas have on a city and its population makes maintaining the green spaces a crucial task for the future, says Gustavs.

Husqvarna Global Garden Report is an annual report about trends and current topics within gardening. This year's report is focused on the importance of green spaces within urban environments. The report is based on a study conducted in seven countries with more than 3 500 homeowners.

CPSC, Hydro-Gear Recall Hydrostatic MTD Manufactured Lawn Tractors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 13 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Lawn Tractors

Units: About 2,700

Manufacturer: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership, of Sullivan, Ill.

Hazard: A drive gear in the lawn tractor's hydrostatic transaxle can fail causing brake failure, posing a crash hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves Cub Cadet, MTD Gold and Troy-Bilt lawn tractors sold with Hydro-Gear model 618-0319 and 618-04270B transaxles. Cub Cadet and Troy-Bilt tractors included in this recall have dates of manufacture (DOM) ranging from December 2010 through March 2011. The DOM can be found on a label on the underside of the seat. MTD Gold can be identified by serial numbers starting with 1L15 or 1L16. Affected transaxles have serial numbers with the first four digits ranging between 0333 and 0348. Transaxle model and serial numbers are printed on a label on the transaxle.

Cub Cadet lawn tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
Cub Cadet	LTX 1045	13WX91AT010 13WX91AT056	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1046KW	13WG91AT010	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1046M	13WP91AT009	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1050KH	13WQ91AP009	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1050KW	13WF91AP010 13WF91AP056	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	SLTX 1050	13WQ92AP010	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	SLTX 1054	13WK92AK009 13WK92AK010 13WK92AK056	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

MTD Gold brand tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
MTD Gold	Hydro	13AP925P004	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

Troy-Bilt brand tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
Troy-Bilt	TB2450	13WQ92KP066	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

Sold by: Lawn and garden retailers nationwide from January 2011 through January 2012 for about between $1,900 and $2,800.

Manufactured in: U.S.A.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled lawn tractors and contact the firm for instructions on obtaining a repair from an authorized service provider.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact the firm's toll-free at (888) 848-6038 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firms' websites at www.cubcadet.com, www.troybilt.com or www.MTDproducts.com. Consumers can also visit Hydro-Gear's website at www.hydro-gear.com