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Essay on Briggs & Stratton Case Analysis

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Briggs & Stratton Case Analysis Introduction History Stephen F. Briggs and Harold M. Stratton founded Briggs and Stratton Corporation in Milwaukee in 1908. Briggs was an inventor and Stratton was a successful businessman. The first product developed by Briggs was too expensive to produce and the partners were out of money. In 1909, Briggs filed a patent for a gas engine igniter to replace the existing magneto system in automobiles. This product was the beginning of Briggs and Stratton becoming the largest US producer of switches and locks for automobiles. Briggs and Stratton tried other products in the 1920’s, but they were not competitive with the Model T. Eventually, Briggs and Stratton came up with a different …show more content…

The Vanguard OHV engine is a medium engine for premium markets and industrial/construction markets. Briggs and Stratton have recently added to this line of products through alliances with two Japanese manufacturers, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi. These alliances should allow Briggs and Stratton to have more growth and profit potential for this product segment. The Diamond Series is Briggs and Stratton’s latest addition to their product line. These engines are targeted to the premium market for commercial lawn care. There is not much competition in this segment. Honda seems to be the biggest competitor and does not have a large portion of this market. Briggs and Stratton are planning to grow this product through the international markets. The Diamond Series is considered a high growth and high profit product and it is in the rapid growth life cycle phase. Overall, Briggs and Stratton have three very attractive products in their product profile. This data trend seems to mean Briggs and Stratton is well positioned in their market for continued growth and profitability. C. Trends, Symptoms, Possible Problems Briggs and Stratton were confronted with strong competitive rivalry from various sources, mainly the Japanese companies. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturers took advantage of the reduced demand and the weakening of the yen, therefore, giving them an edge in the market. Some of the trends, symptoms, and

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