BRIGGS & STRATTON ACQUIRE STAND-ON BLOWER LINE

Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced this week that it has acquired certain assets of Hurricane, Inc. of Muskegon Heights, Michigan, a designer and manufacturer of stand-on leaf and debris blowers.

This is the company's second acquisition in eight months, which they say is designed to accelerate growth opportunities in the commercial lawn and turf market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Harold L. Redman, Briggs & Stratton's senior vice president and group president - Turf & Consumer Products said, "Hurricane brings high-quality products with differentiated capabilities around air flow and handling which make the lawn and turf care professional more productive.

"The acquisition brings Briggs & Stratton and its family of brands one step closer to its goal of filling a landscaper's trailer with everything needed to start and finish a job in as little time and with as little effort as possible to maximise their profitability."

Todd J. Teske, Briggs & Stratton's chairman, president and chief executive officer, added, "Briggs & Stratton continues to generate strong growth serving commercial customers in lawn and turf care, job site, and on an OEM basis with an expanding line of innovative commercial engines.

"This investment follows our recent acquisition of the assets of Ground Logic, Inc. which produces stand-on commercial spreaders and spreader/sprayers for fertiliser and pesticide-herbicide lawn applications. Both have expanded our product line and will enable us to take advantage of synergies in manufacturing and supply chain.

"We will be able to leverage our broad base of dealers and distributors to accelerate growth of these products."