Briggs and Stratton files bankruptcy and sale of assets

#4
Very sad. Thank you China.
Thank B&S management who gave themselves big bonuses instead of paying their debt.

"In June, after missing a $6.7 million interest payment, the company’s board voted to give executives and other key employees $5 million in cash retention awards, including $1.2 million for Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO, and $600,000 for Mark Schwertfeger, senior vice president and chief financial officer."

"In 2007, it closed its engine plant in Rolla, Mo., that once employed up to 800 people – moving much of that production to China. In 2012, it announced the closing of a plant in Newbern, Tenn., resulting in the loss of almost 700 jobs. It also closed its plant in the Czech Republic that year."

Several years ago, I read that only the B&S racing engines were assembled in Milwaukee and everything else was imported from China (may or may not have been true).
 
#5
Thank B&S management who gave themselves big bonuses instead of paying their debt.

"In June, after missing a $6.7 million interest payment, the company’s board voted to give executives and other key employees $5 million in cash retention awards, including $1.2 million for Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO, and $600,000 for Mark Schwertfeger, senior vice president and chief financial officer."

"In 2007, it closed its engine plant in Rolla, Mo., that once employed up to 800 people – moving much of that production to China. In 2012, it announced the closing of a plant in Newbern, Tenn., resulting in the loss of almost 700 jobs. It also closed its plant in the Czech Republic that year."

Several years ago, I read that only the B&S racing engines were assembled in Milwaukee and everything else was imported from China (may or may not have been true).
You ran the company into the ground, and put your workers out of work and endangered their families well being...for a buck. Here's your bonus, Thanks for a great job done.. and oh... don't spend it all in one place... Talk about having a golden parachute.. That shit should be illegal.
 

joshua. c.

Well-Known Member
#7
briggs abandond large segments of the market in giving up on both the gokart and mini bike industry. (with exception of the go kart racing industry) I haven't seen one recent mini bike brand using briggs. Stupid decision. and they didn't do enough to compete with the predator engines sold in harbor fright. not to mention failing to slow down all the cheep honda clones invading the snow blower and lawn mower market. the righting has been on the wall for them for a while now, I'm not surprised. hopefully whoever buys the assets can shake the company out of its apathy and get it back on its feet.
 
#9
As much as I hate to say it, smaller, ligther, and more powerful batteries are becoming the energy source of small equipment in the future.

The internal combustion engine replaced the horse, the battery may just be the engines replacement.

Flatheads Forever.....O.J.
 
#11
This is really sad to see Briggs & Stratton go out of business. I guess if we want brand new American made engines from now on, we are going to have to use Tillotson engines.
 

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#14
Originally a USA company, Tillotson is headquartered in Ireland these days. I'm guessing that Tillotson just contracts Ducar to manufacture the engines and that Tillotson is not a Chongqing Dajiang company, but I could be wrong.
Oh I see now. This is why I can't get the Tillotson 196 crankshaft that I ordered. It may be on the slow boat from China?
 
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