Briggs & Stratton finalizes Murray deal

[gwiseman]

http://tennessean.com/business/archives/05/01/65564934.shtml?Element_ID=65564934 Saturday, 02/12/05 Briggs & Stratton completed its purchase of Murray Inc. yesterday, buying the company's name, equipment, trademarks and patents, but not the company's real estate holdings. The sale was approved Jan. 31 in federal bankruptcy court in Nashville. It sets the stage for the company to close its [Murray] plant in Lawrenceburg and headquarters in Brentwood in the next year and a half, as work moves to Briggs & Stratton plants.

[D-17_Dave]

Boy, I'd like to know what they have planned. But the future looks better for Simplicity. I guese Wally-world will have to start selling MTD's and Cub-cadets now.lol

[orangeone]

I hope and PRAY that I never see a Simplicity setting in a Wal-Mart. That would be the real end .

[gwiseman]

Surely someone @ B&S has a plan to use the Murray brand in a completely different market than Simplicity (and we hope they keep cosmetics distinct as well as components. Around here we see JD as well as other "premium" dealer lines taking on Snapper to get the zero turn units so that brand has raised its own bar since the days of Wal-Mart. On another sad note-my Simplicity dealer is closing and the auction is March 19. Sad!

[firefoxz1]

Briggs & Stratton had to make a deal with Murray IMHO because Murray owed them millions of dollars. Who knows if B&S will ever do anything with the name but will probably make out in the long run with service contracts. I read somewhere that they're going to keep production up for about 18mos because they figure that's how long it will take to recoup their looses from what Murray owed them. I hope they don't plan to use Murray as an indroductory Simplicity like the a JD L series.

[bigcountry]

Well Murray has more than one brand. So if Murray goes, then 1/2 the low end tractor market goes.......Murray, Murray Select, Murray Performance, Yard King, Dynamark, Turf Master, and Blizzard. I believe Murray owed Briggs $10 million. Dynamark used to be a fairly decent line. I have one Dynamark, which my next door neighbor gave to me, he used it since the mid-70's and it still ran up until about 2 years ago when the front tires went bad (wouldn't take any air) and the wheels seized up on the spindle. The engine didn't smoke, but the carburetor was wore slap out, the throttle and choke shafts have a lot of play in them and the muffler wore all the threads off. I guess this will become a parts tractor.......

[patrician12]

Briggs will be able to sell now at all levels.Briggs isn't Murray!I was told by a dealer that the JD's sold to Home Depot were paid for in advance with a no return policy.The remaining players in the power equipment business are bigger and stronger and if they desire will not have to take their pants down to mass merchandizers like Murray did.I think it would be counter productive for Home Depot or Walmart to screw with the world's largest small engine manufacturer.I personally think Briggs will open up their own power equipment stores.They can cut out the fat and sell as cheap as anyone and then make a killing on parts and service.

[bigcountry]

I plan to get Briggs Master Service Technician certified in the next 2 years over summer break. I figure it will help me out with engineering practices here at the college. Wal-mart's cash cow for mowers are Murrays. When they go MTD will step in and start selling those Yard Machines and Yard Man lines, which is what Wal-Mart had a few of before. The loss of Murray at the Home Depot won't mean much, just will mean that people will have to move up to the JD L-series or an MTD carbon copy.