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INDUSTRY NEWS Stihl Inc. gives back to community as part of PLANET Day of Service Stihl Inc. partnered with the city of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and local lawn care company, K&D Round’s Landscape Services, to give back to the community as part of the third an- nual Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Day of Service, a na- tionwide event that encourages green industry companies to give back to their communities. The Stihl event took place May 7 at Munden Point Park. “At Stihl Inc., we believe it is our responsibility as citizens of Vir- ginia Beach to give back to our community in every way possible,” said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for Stihl Inc. and PLANET board member. “We are proud to be a part of PLANET Day of Service and partner with the Parks and Recre- ation department to improve one of our city’s great parks.” Volunteers from Stihl Inc. and their families, K&D Round’s Landscape Services, and city-trained personnel all participated in the event at Munden Point Park. Some of the improvements in- cluded tree pruning, shrub trimming, spreading mulch and pine straw, cleaning flower beds, sand volleyball court replenishment, and playground mulch replenishment. “This is the third year that we have worked with Stihl Inc. to revitalize our local parks,” said Shawn Hopson, Virginia Beach open space manager. “This partnership with Stihl and local tree care companies has really saved taxpayers’ money while keeping our parks in the best possible shape for the community.” Stihl Inc. is a supporting sponsor of PLANET Day of Service and is one of many companies performing a variety of volunteer lawn and landscape projects to give back to their communities across the country. The event was organized to demonstrate the impor- tance of maintaining green spaces in recognition of Earth Day. More than 3,100 people in 43 states took part in the 2011 PLANET Day of Service and completed 190 service projects. For more information on PLANET Day of Service, visit www.planetdayofservice.org. Briggs & Stratton announces donation to American Red Cross to aid in disaster relief Briggs & Stratton Corporation an- nounced on May 3 that it donated 75 portable Briggs & Stratton 5,000-watt generators to the American Red Cross to aid with disaster relief efforts from the deadly April tornadoes. The gen- erators were immediately put to use as electrical services are slow to be restored. The Milwaukee, Wis.-based company has a long-standing his- tory of corporate responsibility and helping those in need. “Part- nering with the American Red Cross enabled us to get our prod- ucts immediately in the hands of those most severely affected by the recent tornadoes,” said Todd 10 Teske, president, chairman and CEO of Briggs & Stratton Corpora- tion. “Providing power to the re- gion will be essential to their recovery efforts.” Betty Palmer, RN, health serv- ices manager, American Red Cross Alabama Tornadoes Relief Opera- tion, said, “The heartfelt donation of generators allowed the Red Cross to provide resources to clients with at-home medical needs. For instance, the first gener- ator was given to a person who re- quired at-home oxygen care. This generator enabled them to con- tinue their recovery from the dev- astating tornadoes, despite the fact that their power remains out.” Zipper Mowers hires manufacturer’s rep Zipper Mowers of Augusta, Kan., announced on May 2 the appointment of Deven Hurst as its exclusive manufac- turer’s representative for the southeastern United States. Hurst will be representing the entire Zipper product line in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. Hurst brings strong industry Deven Hurst credentials from Husqvarna, as well as distributors for Stihl and Snapper. “My experience in dealer management, merchan- dising and marquee account de- velopment gives me a great base of experience from which I can support and grow the Zipper dealer base in this region,” said Hurst. Tom Glaze, vice president and general manager of Zip- per Mowers, added, “We look forward to the high level of growth and support that we know Deven can bring to the Zipper team.” OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com