Briggs & Stratton Closing Plants, Reducing Capacity

Briggs & Stratton Corp. plans to close two manufacturing plants and reduce operations at a third site, citing falling demand for its outdoor power equipment. … "We continually evaluate our manufacturing footprint as we consider productivity and efficiency gains along with changes in the markets we serve,” stated Todd J. Teske, chairman, president and CEO. … The company will consolidate its Newbern, Tenn., and McDonough, Ga., plants at the Georgia site by May 15, and it will close a plant in Ostrava, Czech Republic on March 15 as it shifts production from there to a plant in Murray, Ken. The Tennessee plant manufactures walk-behind lawn mowers and snow throwers for the U.S. market, and has 240 regular employees and 450 temporary workers. The Czech plant produces small gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. It has approximately 77 employees, Briggs & Stratton said.
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