The Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the world’s largest producer of petrol engines for outdoor power equipment, with Briggs & Stratton products designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over one-hundred countries on six continents. Beginning in 1908 with an informal partnership between inventor Stephen F. Briggs and investor Harold M. Stratton, Briggs & Stratton quickly grew to become the world-straddling engine colossus that we know today.
In 1922, the fledgling company set a record in the automotive industry by selling the lowest-priced car ever; the Briggs & Stratton Flyer. The company’s modern success, however, is founded on the development of the first lightweight aluminium engine in 1953. This breakthrough, along with the post-war growth of suburban communities with lawns that needed mowing, revolutionised the lawn and garden care industry and helped secure Briggs & Stratton’s successful growth throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Mowers powered by Briggs & Stratton engines became an integral part of suburban life, with subsequent innovations including Easy-Spin® starting, lo-tone mufflers and an automatic choke only confirming the company’s position as industry leaders. This remains the case today, with over ten million small engines made every year and eight out of ten leading lawnmower brands choosing Briggs & Stratton engines to power their mowers. In addition to this Briggs & Stratton now also produces a wide range of its own lawn and garden equipment, including generators, pressure washers, snow throwers, and ride-on and walk-behind lawnmowers.
Briggs & Stratton’s commitment to innovation and modernity has also led the company to become pioneers in clean engine technology, reducing the emissions produced by its engines by up to 75% since 1995. The latest development in this longstanding dedication to environmental protection includes the invention of Eco-Plus® technology, which reduces evaporative emissions by up to 59% for much cleaner running, more fuel efficient performance. Briggs & Stratton has even won a Halo Award from the Cause Marketing Forum in recognition of its efforts generating awareness of the environmental benefits of mower tune-ups, having conducted the Mower Tune-Up Month campaign in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation.
This ongoing dedication to providing the very best in innovative, user- and environmentally friendly power is precisely why Briggs & Stratton engines are still admired worldwide and used in all kinds of lawn and garden maintenance equipment, even over a century since the company was first established.