Forester Protective Gear and Outdoor Equipment: Safety, Value and Comfort

Landscapers, arborists and other outdoor workers need solid protective gear to stay safe on the job. Companies need products that deliver value. So it was no surprise that Ahlborn Equipment, Inc. pleased everyone with its new line of signature Forester brand protective apparel and safety equipment, unveiled at this year’s GIE+Expo.

Forester gear meets or exceeds federal safety standards and is affordably priced. Better yet, Forester safety clothing items are durable and comfortable, manufactured to exacting safety standards and designed to be easy to wear. Forester high-dexterity, abrasion-resistant gloves, for instance, incorporate ergonomic design features for comfort and more functionality.

Jonsered Delivers Quality: Clean Powerful Engines

As the name alludes to, Clean Power is an engine that emits less exhaust fumes. Exhaust emissions are up to 75% lower and fuel consumption up to 20% lower compared to a conventional 2-stroke engine of the same size.

“With a combination of cleaner exhaust fumes and lower fuel consumption, we have developed an engine that emits less exhaust, which makes it more pleasant to work with and means you feel better at the end of a day’s work. The fact that it doesn’t use so much gas also makes it less expensive run,” says Gusthalin.

Kwik Delivers Largest Trimmer Head Product Line

KPI started importing the first Kwik Loader (KL450) back in 1996. Since then, the company has grown into the largest trimmer head manufacturer in North America, manufacturing a complete line of trimmer heads here in the U.S. Starting with one trimmer head, the lineup has now grown to include tap to advance commercial trimmer heads and now offers over 14 models, capable of fitting 99% of trimmers on the market today. The Kwik Loader, which changed the way the industry looked at fixed line trimmer heads in the late ’90s, has now set the bar even higher for 2010, with the next generation of Kwik Loader fixed line heads with patented swivel technology. Using the original Kwik Loader line locking system, KPI has incorporated this new swivel technology to reduce line breakage associated with traditional fix line heads. Able to hold up to .155 diameter trimmer line, regardless of the shape, these new Kwik Loaders will once again set a new standard.

Picking the Best Head for the Application

To provide the ultimate in trimmer service and parts, learn how to quickly and properly identify the best trimmer head for your customers’ applications. Follow these easy steps from Stens to wow your customers:

Determine if you’re working with a straight or curved shaft trimmer. Curved shaft trimmers require a trimmer head to suit the needs of a consumer model. Bump Feed and Mini Bump Feed heads are suitable for this. Straight shaft trimmers need a head that withstands both consumer and commercial use. Bump Feed and Pro Bump Feed heads are suitable for either application.

Prüfrex Boasts Years Of Ignition Know-How

Prüfrex digital ignition systems meet the legal requirements for combustion engines and ignition systems. In accordance with the demands, they are provided with microprocessor, microcontroller or a custom-specific IC and comply with the tightened standards for exhaust gas and noise emissions as CARB and EPA, as well as the safety standards for outboard engines, stationary engines, generators, motor-driven leisure time and sporting gear. Power electronics, high-voltage technology and microelectronics are closely packed together. Prüfrex digital ignition systems set the standard for high integration and extremely unitized ignition modules. This is the basis for engine management solutions to control the carburetor or injection.

Rotary Introduces New 2010 Trimmer Line, Head Products

Rotary has introduced a variety of new trimmer line and trimmer heads, including the Speed Loader from Kwik, and these are just some of the many new products for 2010. Rotary offers Vortex, Diamond, Quadtex and premium Quad trimmer line, plus commercial grade line. Loops, donuts and bulk spools are available. Rotary also has high-wheel and pre-cut line, as well as all types of universal and multi-application trimmer heads for most models. 100% of Rotary’s monofilament trimmer line is made in the U.S.

Stihl’s Innovations, Quality Offer Best Customer Value

As any landscape professional or serious homeowner knows, landscape maintenance is never finished. Fortunately, Stihl has a wide selection of rugged, long-running equipment that can help your customers stay ahead of the game. From the award-winning Stihl HomeScaper Series to the Professional Series, customers will find an array of innovative features to meet their needs, including powerful, low-emission and fuel-efficient engines, low-noise and low-vibration technologies, and the Easy2Start system for almost effortless starts.

Rewarding Employee Value In Tough Times by Greg German

Typically, in late fall and early winter our employees are expecting their evaluations to begin and potential raises handed out. Since late 2008, we have given very few raises and that will probably carry over into early 2010. I believe most of our employees understand the difficult time that most businesses are experiencing and the fact that they have a steady job where there have been no layoffs is a minor miracle. With the diversity of our customer base, we have been able to withstand the current economy even though most markets that we compete in have shrank over the past 12 months.

So does that mean our employees are good and are simply satisfied that they have a job when real unemployment in our state is hovering around 16%? I doubt it. I believe that most people believe that they are worth more than they are being paid. So how do we acknowledge their efforts without having to increase our entire wage base at the same time? Good question.

GIE+EXPO 2009 Dealer Choice Awards

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GIE+EXPO 2009 Dealer Features

Two key dealer-targeted features at GIE+EXPO 2009 were the Dealer Experience and the new High-Performance Service Department Pavilion.

The Dealer Experience featured several business management seminars, discussions with industry leaders Fred Whyte, president of Stihl, Inc., and Dan Ariens, president of Ariens Co., and Bill Harley, executive director of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, as well as dealer panel discussions.

GIE+EXPO 2009 PET Show Report

More than 15,000 visitors and others participated in this year’s GIE+EXPO lawn and garden industry trade show at the Kentucky Exposition Center, where industry education and new products were the top draws for dealers, landscapers and others.

Despite being down in pre-registrations prior to the show, dealers in attendance ended up 2% better than in 2008. Likewise, the numbers of merchandiser/buyers and distributors were also better this year than in 2008, according to show officials.

Maruyama On The Move: New Distribution, Staff by Dan Shell

Maybe you’ve noticed the flurry of Maruyama press releases beginning early this year, the movement of personnel from one company to another, the development of a new and strong, dealer-focused distribution system. Always quietly competitive, with high-quality quality products, doing some private-label work, Maruyama is now stepping on the gas and reaching for a higher market share with a re-tooled distribution network and infusion of managerial talent.

The new-look Maruyama is in several ways the results of the company’s ongoing internal strategy combined with a major opportunity that presented itself when Echo merged with Shindaiwa and effectively liquidated the Shindaiwa organization from the top down, including almost all personnel and the company’s long-time distributor network.

The ‘Customer Experience’ Critical In A Tough Economy

Small business owners have always had to focus on streamlining and improving efficiencies in order to stay competitive and remain afloat—but what about creating solid competitive advantages by improving the customer experience?

Small business owners strive to provide a customer experience that differentiates them from their competition, but they often feel that they can’t compete on all levels against large national or regional merchants. Loyalty solutions can help level this playing field and are easily attainable for small businesses.

Information You Need by Dan Shell

This annual issue, Power Equipment Trade’s PowerGuide 2010, delivers the most comprehensive industry information resource available, including manufacturers and distributors and other suppliers, plus key dealer and other trade associations and even old and obsolete parts sources—a valuable information source dealers can use year-round.

This year’s edition of PowerGuide features more than 650 listings of industry’s top suppliers and dealer-friendly organizations.

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

Venture Products, Inc. has been selected, for the second year in a row, as a Cascade Capital Corporation Business Growth Award honoree for 2009. The Business Growth Awards is presented by Cascade Capital Corp., an economic development finance company that provides SBA 504 funding throughout Ohio, and sponsored by Smart Business magazine. The awards honor businesses located in Summit, Medina, Portage, Wayne, Ashland and Holmes counties that have increased sales over the previous five years. (2004-2008). Cascade Capital recognized all Growth Award honorees October 8, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in Fairlawn, Ohio.