The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) today announced its 2012-2013 Officers and Board of Directors during its 60th Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, June 20-22, 2012.
Officers for the 2012-2013 year include: OPEI Chairman Daniel Ariens, President, Ariens Company; OPEI Vice Chairman Todd Teske, Chairman, President & CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.; and OPEI Secretary/Treasurer Paul Mullet, President, Excel Industries.
“Our new officers will lead the organization in an important year for our industry,” said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI. “A variety of legislative, regulatory and market issues will be addressed by the new OPEI Board of Directors, who bring strategic thinking and expertise to the direction we will take.”
“The vantage point that OPEI represents is more relevant than at any other time in the organization’s 60-year history,” added OPEI Chair Dan Ariens. “Our members are in a unique position to provide firsthand knowledge of how legislative actions might affect the employees in this industry and the consumers who rely on power equipment products every day.”
Continuing their service on the OPEI Board are: Immediate Past Chairman, Jean Hlay, President and Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products Inc.; Steven Bly, Executive Vice President, Echo Inc.; Ed Cohen, Vice President, Government & Industry Relations, Honda North America; Michael Hoffman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, The Toro Company; Michael Jones, President of the Americas, Husqvarna; and Fred Whyte, President, Stihl Incorporated.
New to the board this year are Marc Dufour, President, Club Car; Peter Hampton, President, Active Exhaust Corporation; and Lee Sowell, President – Outdoor Products, Techtronic Industries, N.A., Inc.