OPEI announces 2013-14 officers and directors
Todd TeskeThe Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced its 2013-14 board at its annual meeting June 18-20 in Williamsburg, Va.
Officers for the upcoming year include: OPEI Chairman Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corporation; OPEI Vice Chairman Paul Mullet, president, Excel Industries; and OPEI Secretary/Treasurer Lee Sowell, president – outdoor products, Techtronic Industries, N.A., Inc.
“OPEI is entering this new fiscal year stronger than ever, both organizationally and financially,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. “The OPEI Board reflects the impressive scope and breadth of our membership. Our membership is at a record high, representing small-engine manufacturers with a range of power sources, utility vehicle manufacturers, and a myriad of small-engine equipment manufacturers and suppliers serving a broad range of industries and uses.”
“OPEI’s long history and strong membership put us in a unique position to make sure we are bringing good-quality, high-value products to the marketplace,” said Teske. “Our collective strength to influence legislation in order to protect our employees and consumers and to communicate accurate information about our industry will continue to be our focus into the future. For the over hundred million consumers who use our products, we want them to know we are working hard for them.”
Continuing their service on the OPEI Board are as follows: Immediate Past Chairman Daniel Ariens, president & CEO, Ariens Company; Marc Dufour, president, Club Car; Peter Hampton, president, Active Exhaust Corporation; Jean Hlay, president and CEO, MTD Products Inc.; Steven Bly, executive vice president, Echo Inc.; Ed Cohen, vice president, government & industry relations, Honda North America; Michael Hoffman, chairman, CEO, The Toro Company; Tim Merrett, vice president, AT&T Global Platform Turf & Utility, Deere & Company; and Fred Whyte, president, Stihl Inc.
New to the OPEI Board are Tom Cromwell, president, Kohler Engines, Kohler Company, and John Cunningham, president, Consumer Products Group, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
For additional information, visit www.OPEI.org.
