Its good to see that some of the larger engines are still made here....In the last year or so I haven't seen ANY American made engines under 20hp that didn't say Briggs & Stratton on them, all the rest are china.....Strange, I haven't seen any Tecumseh engines ANYWHERE on ANYTHING.

Generac Power Systems in Whitewater WI makes and produces the 990cc V-Twin engine that they put in the Worlds Fastest Lawnmower, the Dixie Chopper, also featured on Tool Time with Tim Allen, minus the jet engine....

The engine market is a fast paced competitive market.

You will never compete with China until the American people will be satisfied with making $2 a day.

Guardians_of_the_Planet,
Guess what I drive a KIA. Why? Because I could afford it. My wife and I originally wanted an Acadia but it was way to expensive, We wanted a new SUV for our growing family and got just about the same features ot he Acadia. What are we suppose to do? Go broke? Live in it? I thank you for your ignorance. By the way, we are quite pleased to be supporting our American union dock workers and railroad workers.

I went to F&F on Saturday to buy (3) things. A bow saw, a gardening shovel, and hose washers. All were made in China...I left empty handed.

I went to China Depot to buy a 10' step ladder, which were also made in China...I left empty handed.

If our local businesses are pushing Chinese products, and we all lose are jobs, who will shop there when were all unemployed?

Step up to the plate people, quit selling us out to China one piece at a time, and buy American!

Those of you driving (K)orea (I)nvades (A)merica cars should be ashamed.

Chinese lawnmowers, snowblowers?

Incredible !!!

I was employed at TecumsehPower in New Holstein, WI for 33.5 years. I retired just before Tecumseh closed it's New Holstein operations and left many, very good people, without jobs or insurance. People that knew how to build a good engine and had made Tecumseh the BEST in their field. Tecumseh also left them with a severance package that would make you cry. I am not trying to be negative, just think that company greed has hurt many honest and hard working people. In my opinion, this is why this country is where it is today. Just hope this move can give people in that area a good job for a long time.

Wow!! More sub paying jobs!! Try and support a small family with these great jobs!

Truthteller, you forgot one. He also owns the old supper club across from the Redwood Hotel.

Bring the JOBS... Get these people off their soap box computers.

This is too funny. This guy is just a rich boy playing with money like the rest of us common folk buy junk on ebay. Monteray hotel,old rock county jail,movie theater fiasco,feedmill on south pearl............I am sure there are more examples of his business prowess. I would not count on this latest whim to create jobs. Although I must say even a broke clock tells the right time twice a day.

Some people have criticized Chinese motors, and maybe rightly so. I remember when "Made in Japan" usually meant cheaply made, too, but look at them now. How many countries send their own people into space using their own space technology? Three. USA, Russia, and China.

LOL we get a little good news and the negative is what you find.......I hope Jim can get it going. With the economy the way it is I would think there would be at least a little positive for the area.

Regardless of how many jobs come to the area, there will be some jobs. Hopefully the class warfare attacks on people like Jim Grafft and the late Ken Hendricks will cease. These are the the very people who create jobs. We owe them thanks and respect rather than "spread the wealth" talk that we hear from Jim Doyle and President Obama types. Mr President and Mr Governor - business is not the enemy whether it be small or large. I remember when these politicians and their union friends would attack General Motors. We now wish we still had GM and perhaps we should have appreciated it more.

The EPA needs to have a catalytic put on them...

The business will be supplying parts for the millions of the Tecumseh engines out there, not solving the climate problem. Even if he never starts small engine production, it's a business.

beeferer- Thats interesting..
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Since cars have had to have catalytic converters for decades and now these engines will have them, will motorcycles have to have them?..If not, why not?
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The EPA needs to answer that question.
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Beeferer, whoaaaaa slow down! You bring something informative to the table instead of the usual "slowdown" comment. Good work supporting my comment. Keep up the progress.

Please use Chinese engines at your own risk. If their recent problems with pet food and baby formula is any indication of the kind of quality control they have in place over there, then I would try to avoid ingesting their engines for fear of contacting salmonella!

From JS Online-September 05, 2008:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered a 35% reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emissions from makers of lawn and garden equipment in 2011.

Other reductions will be required for boats and other recreational watercraft, beginning in 2010.

The changes will force companies such Briggs & Stratton, Kohler Co. and Mercury Marine to modify equipment. Makers of marine engines are expected to use catalytic converters for the first time, the EPA said.

TecumsehPower had produced engines for these brands: Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Huskee, Husqvarna, MTD Gold Series, Murray, Toro, Poulan Pro,Troy-Bilt, White Outdoor, Yard Machines, Yard Man

Graft, have you thought about teaming with the UW to create an alternative to the Chinese engines? Since small engines are notorious polluters, a clean, quiet engine would be a breakthrough that people may be ready for. For this to work you must have equal performance, product life, replacement parts, and cost. Future taxes on gas related to auto travel, and pollution guidelines may be the boost you need. There may even be a way to team a product like this with tax credits and incentives to sweeten the deal. We know you like those!

Rooster...the man is local, owns buildings in Rock County already. Why wouldn't he stay here? Your comment makes no sense to me.

It didn't say jobs because he isn't sure when production will start and if so how large his contracts will be. It may be nearly impossible to restart those contracts (even with an injection of calcium chloride because of the cold US economy). Still, the Tecumseh brand retains substantial equity and consumer loyalty.
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It would be great if this were a green business, as small engines are a significant pollution source, but the R&D may be prohibitive.

here is what you didn't read:

janesville need the jobs so the folks will work for less. (good wages and benefits are a pipe dream in the present economy.)

obviously, they want to reside here because of the extra gyms at the high schools

janesville will give them anything they want to make it look like things are turning around and that the incompetent city council and manager are doing their jobs

the implication is janesville, maybe, but meanwhile, where in rock county.

my suggetion, put them in the flooded out schulers building

Its going to be interesting to see if the china engines are going to be reliable.
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The briggs and tecumseh engines I have start and operate FLAWLESSLY in ALL weather no matter how cold/frozen it is.
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Anyone checked out a new snowblower over the last year or two?
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Almost EVERY brand has an engine from china where they used to be a briggs or tecumseh.
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Look on the engine real close, you'll see it.
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Is it going to bring jobs to us? It never says or if it did how many?

Great news for potential jobs to be brought in. A significant challenge with this kind of product line will be how to make it affordable, yet compliant with emission regulations. Figure that one out, and this will be golden...

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