The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to rule this week whether 15% ethanol-blended gasoline will now become the nation’s standard transportation fuel, but that doesn’t mean the higher E15 gas-ethanol blend will be found at the pump any time soon: even if the agency approves the switch—the agency has already asked for more time and information—refiners are saying they won’t put more ethanol into their gasoline unless Congress gives them protection from potential lawsuits from motorists or consumers who claim the ethanol hurt their engines.

Early next year, a British team hopes to break the record for top land speed by a lawnmower, set in 2006 by American Bob Cleveland with a speed of over 80 mph.

“Project Runningblade” is aiming to top 100 mph. A specialized mower is being built for the project, featuring a Kawasaki lawnmower engine and on-road tires.

The challenge will be set in Wales.

Project Runningblade will raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and Wessex Heartbeat, a major charity that supports the Wessex Cardiac Centre.

Schiller Grounds Care, Inc., manufacturer of BOB-CAT, Bunton, Classen, Little Wonder, Mantis, Ryan and Steiner brand landscaping, gardening and grounds care equipment, introduces several new members of the Schiller Sales Team.

Regional Sales Manager – Distribution

• Bert Albing (West Coast), previously from Shindaiwa, comes to Schiller with more than twenty years of experience in the power equipment industry. Albing will be responsible for enhancing distribution relations and increasing sales in the West Coast region.
• Ken Loder (Northeast) will be responsible for increasing sales, improving customer satisfaction, as well as meeting and exceeding sales targets for all product lines in the Northeast Region. Loder’s strong sales and marketing experience attained at Wright Manufacturing and Giant-Vac will aid him in achieving his goals at Schiller. Albing and Loder will join current Schiller Regional Sales Managers Stu Markowitz and Jim Obos to round out Schiller’s Two-Step Distribution Sales.

Sales Manager – Steiner

• Freeman Geiser is back at Steiner after a brief hiatus. Geiser previously spent 19 years at Steiner and was instrumental in growing the brand through product development and dealer network expansion.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may not meet a December 1 deadline to decide whether to approve an industry request to boost the amount of ethanol that can be blended into gasoline, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said on November 9.

The pro-ethanol trade group Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers petitioned the EPA last March to allow gasoline rated as standard transportation fuel to contain up to 15% ethanol by volume, known as E15. U.S. gasoline is now approved to contain up to 10% ethanol. The group filed the request as an emergency waiver appeal to forego the usual multi-year data gathering and research process associated with such fuel changes. According to agency rules, the appeal required a yea or nay response within six months, but agency officials now say that time frame won’t likely be met.

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) is working with the industry to develop a voluntary American National Standard (ANSI/ROHVA 1-200X) that addresses the design and performance of recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) sold in North America.

The ANSI standard development process requires involvement from a variety of interests. Participants involved in the process, from the U.S. and Canada, include the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other government representatives, industry, consumers and other interested parties.  Through the ANSI process, managed by ROHVA, those participants will reach consensus on an appropriate ANSI standard for ROV equipment, configuration and performance requirements.

Two service-oriented dealers were the lucky winners of the Power Equipment Trade 2009 Dealers Choice Awards $100 Voter Giveaways, with two lucky voters chosen at random for the cash awards—just for participating in the PET GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards.

Gene Lupton, owner of Gene’s Lawnmower Service Center in Lowland, NC, made his third visit to GIE+EXPO and greatly enjoyed “riding everything” in the outdoor demo area. Inside, at the all-new Service Center Pavilion at the show, Lupton said, “I just stood there and watched a guy from Stihl for 30-45 minutes tearing down a carburetor—and I learned a lot.”

Joe Thomas, owner of Thomas Outdoor Power Repair in Indianapolis, Ind., does mostly service work, but also sells some RedMax units. The biggest issues he’s seen recently are mostly related to bad or stale ethanol-blended fuel. He added that he had a great time at GIE+EXPO 2009.

Major lawn and garden industry suppliers Husqvarna, ARI Network Services, Tec-Mate and Alum-Line won big when Power Equipment Trade magazine announced the winners of its fourth annual GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards at the close of the industry’s biggest trade show in Louisville, Ky. on October 31. Chosen by lawn and garden dealers through on-line and in-show voting, the Power Equipment Trade GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards honor innovative and cutting edge products on display in five categories: Attachments/Accessories, Business Services, Handheld, Power Sports/Recreation, and Wheeled.

Husqvarna won in both the Handheld and Wheeled categories with its new 576XP AutoTune Chain Saw and PZ Mower Series, respectively. ARI won the Business Services category with its new Footsteps dealership sales lead management software. Tec-Mate’s OptiMate Pro-S Battery Charger won the Attachments/Accessories category, and Alum-Line’s rugged new Extreme Pro-Hauler truck body won the Power Sports/Recreation category.

“The purpose of the Dealers Choice Awards is to provide dealers with the opportunity to vote for those products and services that can add significant value to their businesses.  We want to reward the companies that listen to dealers’ needs and develop the products and services that specifically meet those needs, helping to make dealerships in the Outdoor Power Industry stronger and more profitable.  We are happy to recognize this year’s winners,” said Dan Shell, managing editor of Power Equipment Trade magazine.

Now in their fourth year, the Power Equipment Trade GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards give lawn and garden dealers an opportunity to highlight new product innovations and quality by voting on top products on display at GIE+EXPO, the lawn and garden industry’s largest North American trade show.

The 2009 awards featured more than 60 product nominations, narrowed down to 22 finalists in the five categories. Thanks to this year’s new on-line voting feature, lawn and garden dealers began voting on October 1 for their favorite products, continuing through the second day of GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky., where dealers voted at the Power Equipment Trade booth. More than 300 dealers participated in the voting this year.

Longtime industry figure Stephen Tilton, Vice President of Tilton Equipment Co., passed away on October 23 at the age of 73 after a courageous five-month battle.

Steve got his start in the power equipment industry in the late 1950s with Homelite’s Minnesota branch and quickly rose to become an extremely successful sales representative. He eventually left Homelite to join his brother Dave, shortly after Tilton Equipment was formed in 1969.

Steve was admired for his extraordinary work ethic, which included long hours and seven-day weeks. His tireless dedication and innovative thinking were fundamental to Tilton Equipment’s growth and lasting success. His unique personality and sharp wit made an impact and a lasting impression on virtually everyone who met him.