HOT NEWS
Ace Hardware hails
Briggs & Stratton as
Vendor of the Year
Briggs & Stratton Corporation was
recently recognized as 2014 Vendor
of the Year by Oak Brook, Ill.-based
Ace Hardware Corporation for its
superior commitment and service to
Ace's retailers, customers and company
initiatives.
"Briggs & Stratton and Ace share a
dedication to providing the best service,
products and support possible," said Dan
Roche, director of marketing for Briggs
& Stratton Portable Power and Cleaning
Systems. "The entire Briggs & Stratton
team worked hard to develop personal
and regional support, technical field
training, and perhaps most importantly,
regular communication with the Ace
buying team, Ace field managers and Ace
Hardware retailers. We are very proud
to have made a contribution to Ace's
success throughout the year."
Launching a complete power
equipment program in all categories,
Briggs & Stratton worked with Ace
to expand and develop products and
programs to meet specific consumer
demands, as well as a comprehensive
after-sales/service support mechanism.
Briggs & Stratton products available
through Ace include walk-behind lawn
mowers, tractors, zero-turn mowers,
handheld trimmers, chain saws, power
washers and generators.
As a Vendor of the Year recipient,
Briggs & Stratton's notable efforts
included excellent customer service,
unparalleled innovation and inventory
management.
INDUSTRY NEWS
www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT MAY 2015 9
Dan Ariens receives
education advocate award
Dan Ariens, chairman and CEO of Ariens
Company in Brillion, Wis., received the
2015 National STEM Education Partner
of the Year Award from the Wisconsin
Technology and Engineering Education
Association (WTEA) and the International
Technology and Engineering Education
Association (ITEEA). The award was
presented during the ITEEA annual
convention held in Milwaukee, Wis.
"I'm especially proud of this award
because it is about partnership," said
Ariens. "My advocacy for STEM
education is a direct result of the
enthusiasm generated at Brillion High
School by Technology Education Teacher
Steve Meyer and his students."
The award recognizes "exceptional
commitment to education and the
importance of science, technology,
engineering and mathematics education,"
according to WTEA.
"For my part, I will continue to be an
advocate within the business community
for these kinds of partnerships and the
very real, viable, and lasting benefits they
provide," added Ariens.
Dan Ariens
