Zenoah America (RedMax) officials recently announced the promotion of Andrew Kuczmar to Vice President of the company’s Product Technical Service and Corporate Training Department. Kuczmar has been Director of Zenoah America (RedMax) Product Technical Service and Product Development since August 20, 2007. He has more than 34 years experience in the lawn and garden power equipment industry. The Product Technical Service Group includes the company’s technical dealer, distributor, and corporate training responsibilities for North America. The Product Development Group is responsible for developing commercial, industrial duty handheld equipment for North America, powered by Zenoah’s, Clean 2-Stroke Stratified Charge Engine Technology.

According to Paul Scholl, President, Zenoah America, RedMax, Kuczmar has an outstanding record in the industry for identifying and taking

TecumsehPower Co. officials recently announced the company has sold its Peerless transmissions business to Husqvarna Outdoor Products. The Peerless division, located primarily in Salem, Ind., with limited operations in Grafton, Wis., designs and manufactures transmissions for lawn and garden power equipment OEM customers, and aftermarket parts to OEMs and central warehouse distributors. Husqvarna is not acquiring any assets or operations of Tecumseh’s engine business.

The transaction is the latest in a series of major moves for the formerly major U.S. small engine maker: Tecumseh was sold to Los Angeles-based Platinum Equity in 2007, and last year

Ethanol producers, ahead of the federally mandated schedule to produce 15 billion gallons of ethanol for use in U.S. vehicles by 2015, are lobbying the government to overturn the long-standing Environmental Protection Agency rule that limits ethanol/gasoline blends to 10% ethanol nationwide. Despite a recent ethanol downturn thanks to lower oil prices, officials with the Renewable Fuels Assn. say the industry could sell plenty of additional ethanol.

Those wondering about the different direction a new administration might take concerning engine emissions didn’t have to wait long: In his second week in office, President Barack Obama directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider letting California and other states set limits on greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles and small engine equipment.

This follows the recent enactment of EPA’s Phase III small engine regulations now going into effect. The issue of reaching regulatory “harmonization”—having national standards instead of state-by-state regulations—has been a big issue throughout the small engine rulemaking process. Yet with a possible new approach from the Obama administration, how the EPA and states may interpret and implement their own vehicle and equipment emissions legislation is a big concern to small engine manufacturers and industry officials, who want to avoid a patchwork of state regulations when certifying small engine performance.