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Upfront Editor Steve Noe snoe@specialtyim.com 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone: (847) 720-5600 • Fax: (847) 720-5601 www.outdoorpowerequipment.com What to look for in Louisville OPE Staff Associate Publisher Editor Art Director Production Manager L ast month, I devoted this space to bringing you my top 10 reasons to attend the 2013 Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO), which is slated to take place Wednesday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 25, at Louisville's Kentucky Exposition Center. Now that hopefully I've convinced you to join me in Louisville, I want to give you the inside scoop on a few of the many things to look for once you arrive at the show. In addition to those things that I covered extensively in the "GIE+EXPO 2013 Special Preview" in September 2013 OPE, look for the following: • Altoz, Inc. will unveil a zero-turn mower, the XC720, in the New Products Showcase, as well as a new line of mowers in its indoor booth (#11086). • Visit Ariens and Gravely (indoor booth #7120 or outdoor booth #6262D) for a chance to win a commercial 21-inch walk-behind mower and other equipment. • Billy Goat Industries will unveil several new products, including a 26-inch fixeddeck brushcutter and a newly enhanced hydrostatic-drive overseeder. • As you will see from the ad on page 9 in this issue, Briggs & Stratton is being very secretive about its plans for the show, but the company has called a press conference for first thing Thursday morning. Stay tuned… • To kick off its 175th anniversary celebration, Brinly-Hardy will exhibit its commercial product line, Spyker Spreaders, and showcase an antique Brinly plow among other things. • Core Outdoor Power will debut its "Elite Line" of electric outdoor power equipment. • Husqvarna is planning to introduce the Husqvarna Smart Switch (see the ad on the opposite page), which is a push-button starter for riding mowers, as well as a line of battery-powered handheld products, including trimmers, chain saws and blowers. • Hustler Turf Equipment will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the Hustler History Museum (indoor booth #5036), which will feature the original zero-turn mower introduced in 1964. The company will also give away a custom 50th anniversary edition Super Z with a 60-inch deck, Kawasaki FX engine and VX4 technology. The approximate value of the mower is $15,000. • Kubota Tractor Corporation will unveil its new commercial zero-turn mower line, the Z700-Series, as well as the all-new, next-generation RTV X-Series. • Stihl Inc. will announce some big news regarding the Stihl Battery KombiSystem line, launching its most powerful lithium-ion chain saw to date and a battery that it believes will be a game changer for the landscape industry. Stihl is also sponsoring a $5,000 giveaway during the Dealer Day reception, which will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. As I said, these are just a few of the many things to look for at the show in Louisville. John Deere, Toro and several other companies will be holding press conferences or media events. Between all of the scheduled press conferences and booth visits, I'm completely booked solid nearly all three days of the show, so I will have plenty more news to share with you in the coming months. Please be sure to look for the latest GIE+EXPO news on our website at www.outdoorpowerequipment.com, Facebook at GreenMediaMags, our weekly OPExtra e-newsletter, and of course the print and digital issues of OPE. One more thing to do in Louisville: Please be sure to participate in our Green Media "Touching Base" promotion and drop off your completed game card at our indoor booth (#470) for a chance to win a free Kindle Fire. OP E Hope you have a fun and safe trip to GIE+EXPO! 6 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT John Kmitta Steve Noe Brian Snook Karen Kalinyak Direct Mail List Sales Cheryl Naughton, (678) 292-6054; e-mail cnaughton@specialtyim.com Reprint Service Cheryl Naughton, (678) 292-6054; e-mail cnaughton@specialtyim.com Editorial Advisory Board Former Executive Director, EETC (retired) Senior Advisor, Servantage Dixie Sales Pres., Plano Power Equipment and Whipper Clipper Director of Sales and Marketing, Central Power Distributors, Inc. Jim Roche Jim Starmer Glen Whitt John D. Hedges Circulation For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (845) 856-2229 or fax (845) 856-5822 business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the validity of advertising claims in connection with items appearing in Outdoor Power Equipment. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorsement by Outdoor Power Equipment or Specialty Information Media, or preference over similar products not mentioned. www.outdoorpowerequipment.com 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone: (847) 720-5600 • Fax: (847) 720-5601 Account Representatives: Scott Hill 134 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60602 Phone: 312-348-1206 • shill@specialtyim.com Leslie Palmer 16267 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 202, Beverly Hills, MI 48025 Phone: 248-530-0300 • lpalmer@specialtyim.com Classified Sales/Marketplace: Glenn Datz Phone: 213-596-7220 • Fax: 213-624-0997 gdatz@specialtyim.com