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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/765117
18 JANUARY 2017 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com COVER STORY | Industry Forecasts But there's still much uncertainty in the political climate. We also expect to see more questions raised around the value of the living landscape, driven by drought and exacerbated by California's actions, which, again, have proven disastrous. OPEI will continue to work with our partners in the lawn and landscape industry, addressing drought response and a host of other issues, such as the California emissions rules. 4) What will be the OPE industry's hottest trends in 2017? KK: OPEI's statistics reports suggest strong trends in battery and electric products, and an ongoing expansion of UTV product offerings. 5) What is your overall outlook for the OPE industry in 2017? KK: The OPE industry will continue to grow. But we're also gearing up for many regulatory changes that will impact the industry. We expect the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) evaporative emissions rule amendments will be fi nalized in 2017, effective in 2020. Manufacturers will be signifi cantly impacted by certifi cation and compliance strategy revisions. The revisions look to further bifurcate U.S. EPA and California regulations for many types of outdoor power equipment. OPEI will continue to be engaged with California to fi nalize the evaporative amendments and monitor the development of future exhaust and evaporative rules in 2017. SCOTT CONNER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HONDA POWER EQUIPMENT (ALPHARETTA, GA.) 1) What is new with your company and/or any OPE industry associations that you represent? Scott Conner (SC): Honda Power Equipment introduced two new generators this fall, the EG2800i for residential use and EB2800i for industrial use; and a new commercial lawn mower, the HRC216K3HDA. Both the generators and the new commercial mower expand on our already outstanding lineup of products. 2) How will the election of Republican Donald Trump as president, along with Republicans maintaining control of Congress in both the House and Senate, impact the OPE industry? SC: We don't have enough details to make a prediction of the impact on the OPE industry just yet, but we look forward to working with both the new administration and Congress to accomplish everyone's goal: a healthy economy. 3) What was the OPE industry's biggest story in 2016, and what do you predict it will be in 2017? SC: The weather and the severity of it in different regions defi nitely had an impact on the industry. Whether it was late snowfall in parts of the country, or the extreme drought in the West and Southeast, weather was a major part of industry stories in 2016. 4) What will be the OPE industry's hottest trends in 2017? SC: The continued diversifi cation of the power supply for OPE products will be a trend that we believe will grow in 2017. Whether it is electrifi cation of products, further refi nements in the internal combustion engine or other propulsion advancements, diversifi cation of how outdoor power equipment products generate their power will make 2017 an exciting year in the industry. In addition, robotic mowers are beginning to make inroads into the U.S. market after being popular in Europe for many years. 5) What is your overall outlook for the OPE industry in 2017? SC: Honda is generally optimistic about the OPE industry for 2017. 2016 was a solid year for the industry, even with the severe drought conditions in parts of the country, and we expect 2017 to continue the positive trends the industry has seen. Indicators appear favorable to continue driving increases in housing starts and existing home sales, which should have a positive effect on power equipment sales as the year progresses. RICK ZECKMEISTER VICE PRESIDENT ENGINE MARKETING BRIGGS & STRATTON CORP. (MILWAUKEE, WIS.) 1) What is new with your company and/or any OPE industry associations that you represent? Rick Zeckmeister (RZ): We've had an exciting and busy year at Briggs & Stratton and are looking forward to more of the same in 2017. On the commercial side of things, our focus on improved productivity for our customers takes several forms: ■ We expanded the Vanguard EFI offerings to new engine platforms and new applications. Our EFI engines provide increased productivity, better fuel effi ciency, more power and better starting. ■ At the 2016 GIE+EXPO, Briggs & Stratton introduced the Vanguard Oil Guard system to our 810 and Big Block commercial engine series. The Oil Guard system allows our commercial landscape contractors to go 500 hours between oil changes — that's 400 hours more than the current industry standard of 100- hour intervals. ■ We're proud to be a partner and fully integrated with SmartEquip, which allows rental stores to fi nd whatever part they may need, order it, have it delivered through Power Distributors, get the part, and get back to work. For residential, we're continuing to make oil changes a thing of the past as we extended our Just Check & Add innovation