Officers for the 2012-2013 year include: OPEI Chairman Daniel Ariens, President, Ariens Company; OPEI Vice Chairman Todd Teske, Chairman, President & CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.; and Secretary/Treasurer Paul Mullet, President, Excel Industries.

“Our new officers will lead the organization in an important year for our industry,” said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI. “A variety of legislative, regulatory and market issues will be addressed by the new OPEI Board of Directors, who bring strategic thinking and expertise to the direction we will take.”

Added OPEI Chair Dan Ariens, “The vantage point that OPEI represents is more relevant than at any other time in the organization’s 60-year history. Our members are in a unique position to provide firsthand knowledge of how legislative actions might affect the employees in this industry and the consumers who rely on power equipment products every day.”

Continuing their service on the OPEI Board are: Immediate Past Chairman, Jean Hlay, President and Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products Inc.; Steven Bly, Executive Vice President, Echo Inc; Ed Cohen, Vice President, Government & Industry Relations, Honda North America; Michael Hoffman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, The Toro Company; Michael Jones, President of the Americas, Husqvarna; and Fred Whyte, President, Stihl Incorporated.

New to the board this year are Marc Dufour, President, Club Car; Peter Hampton, President, Active Exhaust Corporation; and Lee Sowell, President – Outdoor Products, Techtronic Industries, N.A., Inc.

About the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is an international trade association representing more than 84 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) in the development of safety and performance standards. For more information, visit www.OPEI.org.

Officers for 2010-11 include: OPEI Chairman Fred Whyte, President, STIHL, Inc ; OPEI Vice Chairman Jean Hlay, President and Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products, Inc; and Secretary/Treasurer Richard Fotsch, President of the Global Power Group, Kohler Company.

“Our new officers will lend their leadership during what’s expected to be a pivotal year for our industry,” said Kris Kiser, Executive Vice President at OPEI. “Working as a team on the OPEI Board of Directors, they will bring forward thinking to a variety of issues that our industry is tackling in the next 12 months from legislative and regulatory issues to market issues.”

“The international scope of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute will drive decision making to meet global business challenges,” said Mr. Whyte. “And, we look forward to meeting those challenges through responsible research, design and manufacturing processes that ultimately benefit our customers and the environment worldwide.”

Continuing their service on the board are: Immediate Past Chairman, Michael Hoffman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, The Toro Company; Daniel Ariens, President, Ariens Company; Steven Bly, Executive Vice President, Echo Inc; Edward Cohen, Vice President- Government & Industry Relations, American Honda Moto Co., Inc.; Michael Jones, President, Husqvarna Professional Products; John May, Senior Vice President, AT&T Global Platform, Turf & Ag Division, John Deere Company; Gary Michel, President & CEO, Club Car, Inc; Paul Mullet, President, Excel Industries; Todd Teske, President & CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.; and Dan Wilkinson, President. Jacobsen, A Textron Company

About the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
OPEI is an international trade association representing the $15 billion landscape, forestry, utility and lawn and garden equipment manufacturing industry. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) in the development of safety standards. Founded in 1952, OPEI represents and promotes the outdoor power equipment industry and ensures the public may continue to benefit from the economic, lifestyle and environmental contributions of landscapes and turfgrass. For more information on OPEI, visit www.OPEI.org.

Officers for 2009-10 include: OPEI Chairman Michael Hoffman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, The Toro Company; OPEI Vice Chairman Fred Whyte, President, STIHL, Inc; and Secretary/Treasurer Jean Hlay, President and Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products, Inc.

“We welcome our new officers to their leadership roles on the OPEI Board during what’s expected to be an exciting, yet challenging year for our industry,” said Kris Kiser, Executive VP at OPEI. “As a team, they have the creativity, vision and pragmatic approach we need to maneuver through and succeed in advancing our members’ goals despite tough times and a host of legislative and regulatory issues.”

Continuing their service on the board are: Immediate Past Chairman, Daniel Ariens, President, Ariens Company; Steven Bly, Executive Vice President, Echo Inc; Richard Fotsch, President of the Global Power Group, Kohler Company; Gary Michel, President, Club Car, Inc; Paul Mullet, President, Hustler Turf Equipment; Dan Wilkinson, President, Jacobsen, A Textron Company; and David Zerfoss, President, Husqvarna Professional Products.

Newly elected to the OPEI Board of Directors is: Randy Sergesketter, Senior Vice President, Ag & Turf Global Platform, Turf & Utility, John Deere Company.

About the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
OPEI is an international trade association representing the $15 billion landscape, forestry, utility and lawn and garden equipment manufacturing industry. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) in the development of safety standards. Founded in 1952, OPEI represents and promotes the outdoor power equipment industry and ensures the public may continue to benefit from the economic, lifestyle and environmental contributions of landscapes and turfgrass.