Category: News

While Stihl got a cool mention in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago for its dealer relationships, Yamaha recently found itself front and center in an in-depth WSJ article about pending utility vehicle regulation. There’s nothing like being used as a major media example—the “poster child” for a given issue—to set off…

The Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC), a non-profit association whose goal is to address the critical shortage of qualified service technicians in the OPE industry, recently announced address changes for certification program correspondence, and for EETC’s offices. Info Access has responsibility for administration of the EETC’s technician certification testing program, and ARI recently acquired…

The politician promising a zero-turn in every yard and a trimmer in every garage and tool closet—that’s the one I voted for…. Actually, I drove past my polling place at a municipal library here in Montgomery this morning and flipped out at the long line stretching out the door, through the parking lot and around…

There’s a new lobby ornament at the Honda Power Equipment Mfg. plant in Swepsonville, NC: the facility’s 20 millionth product—a shiny new HRR216K5VXAA walk-behind mower that factory officials say they’re going to keep as a monument to the organization’s success and quality output. Honda Power Equipment products are produced at 11 manufacturing facilities worldwide, and…

This year’s GIE+EXPO in Louisville October 23-25 featured the three “Es” on every dealer’s mind: The economy, the election and ethanol, though not necessarily in that order depending on the topic at hand. For dealers who were at GIE+EXPO and for those who missed it, here’s the scoop on what industry leaders, suppliers and dealers…

After months of suspense, the moment finally drew near when the long-awaited winners of the third annual Power Equipment Trade Dealers Choice Awards winners were announced near the end of the GIE+EXPO show in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday, October 25. Dealers attending GIE+EXPO voted on their favorite new products in five categories in the third…

Yet another year closer to becoming one of those 20-year Louisville show visitors, I’m still finding neat things to do and see at GIE+EXPO, and this year was especially interesting with the economic turmoil occurring in financial markets and the increasing use of ethanol in gasoline that’s going to have a big impact on lawn…

In an article about how dealer-oriented manufacturers are working through the economic downturn, Stihl Inc. was one of two companies highlighted in a recent on-line edition of the Wall Street Journal. This was one of the items noted in a recent edition of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s daily “SmartBrief” on-line newsletter:

The small engine group Alliance for a Safe Alternative Fuels Environment (AllSAFE), of which the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute is a member, is supporting a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement letter addressing self-directed blender pumps at retail outlets and the risks involved when using fuel blends containing more than 10% ethanol.

Ethanol is gasoline has become a fact of American life, with 10% ethanol blends at just about every station around. While 10% ethanol is a mixture that’s been approved by all automakers and just about all small engine manufacturers, the anecdotal evidence out there shows there are problems in small engines—especially older units. Want to…