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Briggs & Stratton is the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled gasoline engines for primarily outdoor power equipment. Current production averages 11 million engines per year.

The company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1908 and today is based in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Briggs and Stratton engines are most commonly used on lawnmowers, as well as pressure washers, electrical generators, and a wide variety of other applications. Their original cast-iron engines were known for their durability but the company's success was established following the development of lightweight aluminum engines in 1953. The aluminum engine was the perfect solution for the recently invented rotary lawnmower due to its lighter weight and lower cost. The company developed a good reputation during the sixties and seventies due to its independent central services distributors (CSDs), low cost replacement parts and well designed service literature.

The company started in 1908 as an informal partnership between Stephen Foster Briggs and Harold M. Stratton. The original intent of the founders was to produce automobiles. In 1922 the company set a record in the automotive industry, selling the lowest-priced car ever, the Briggs & Stratton Flyer (also called the "Red Bug"), at only US$125-US$150.

Eventually the company settled on automotive components and small gasoline engines. Briggs purchased an engine patent from A.O. Smith Company and began powering early washing machines and refrigerators. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1928.

Strengths
  • Technological Advancement
  • Leading market position
  • Diversified revenue stream
  • Strong & steady financial performance
  • Strong research & development
  • Cash generator

    Weaknesses

    * Legal proceedings
    * Employee unrest
    * Weak upstream performance in the US

    Opportunities

    * Increasing demand for refined products in China
    * Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas
    (LNG)
    * Capital investments
    * Demand exceeding supply
    * Biofuels (algae)

    Threats

    * Economic slowdown in the US and the
    European Union
    * Environmental regulations
    * Tax changes in the US
    * Alternative energy sources
 
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