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INDUSTRY NEWS Stens Corporation holds ribbon-cutting ceremony Stens Corporation, a global supplier of replacement parts for the outdoor power equipment industry and other industries, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 16 at its new facility on the south side of Jasper, Ind. Pictured from left to right are as follows: Dan Ariens, president & CEO of Ariens Company; Peter Ariens, president of Stens Corporation; Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann; Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz; and Ralph Howard, president of global aftermarket parts for Stens Corporation. Stens' new 208,400-square-foot facility located at 1919 Hospitality Drive in Jasper, Ind. As one of the first local companies to take advantage of the newly minted Jasper tax abatement ordinance, Stens first announced in December 2011 its plans to invest in renovating and equipping the 208,400-square-foot facility in southwest Indiana, adding up to 98 new jobs by 2015. "Because of company growth over the years, employees were spread out among three different buildings, but the move allowed them to come back under the same roof," said Stens President Peter Ariens. "Having everyone working in the same space again has improved employee communication and creativity." Since the move, which was completed in July 2013, Ariens said that employees have enjoyed greater success coming up with new ideas and programs. Stens currently employs approximately 200 associates in Jasper and 275 across the country. Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann joined Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz and the Ariens family in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially opening the largely renovated and now operative headquarters and distribution center. Stens is an international supplier of replacement parts for the outdoor power equipment, landscape, rental, golf and construction industries. The company is currently exporting goods to more than 50 countries around the world. Stens sells to more than 75,000 customers worldwide and is part of the Outdoor Power Equipment Aftermarket Association, American Rental Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association, National Association of Wholesalers, and many more local and regional associations. Through its businesses, Bynorm in Australia, Sövde in Scandinavia and Countax Distribution in the United Kingdom, Stens continues to build a global replacement parts brand. The Toro Company expanding its headquarters The Toro Company, a worldwide provider of turf, landscape, rental and construction equipment, as well as irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions, broke ground Sept. 5 on a $25-million expansion in Bloomington, Minn. The project begins the process of expanding the company's product development and test capacities, demonstrating its continued commitment to innovation. "We are investing in our Bloomington facility to enable our businesses to continue to meet the needs of our customers," said Michael J. Hoffman, Toro's chairman and chief executive officer. "With the anticipated growth of our businesses, through ongoing product development and the addition of recent acquisitions taking us into new markets, this investment will help to expand our technical capacity and further the innovation our customers expect. As we celebrate our Centennial next year, this project will help position us for the future and reinforce our commitment to innovation, our customers, and our employees." The 75,000-square-foot expansion is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2014. Toro moved to its Bloomington, Minn., location in 1952, opening a research and development facility, and later its headquarters in 1962. The last major addition to the 10 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT facility came in 1997. The construction effort is being led by Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies US, Inc., and LEO A DALY LLP is the architect on the project. www.outdoorpowerequipment.com