Kohler Co. Hosts Craftsman Across America In Wisconsin

Fresh off a successful coast-to-coast 3,300-mile durability test, Craftsman’s KOHLER-powered lawn tractor and road warrior driver make pilgrimage to home of Kohler Engines

KOHLER, Wis.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--What did Kohler Engines and Craftsman do during their summer vacation? Only drive coast-to-coast across America…at 7.5 mile per hour (MPH) on a KOHLER-powered Craftsman riding lawn mower. Kohler Engines, a Kohler Co. business, today announced that shortly after mowing across America and putting Craftsman and Kohler Engines to the ultimate durability test, the man and the mower will once again journey, this time to Kohler, Wis. to meet the men and women who spend their work days building “across America tough” KOHLER engines.

“Craftsman deserves much credit for envisioning such a patently American way to demonstrate the craftsmanship and reliability of Craftsman riding garden tractors and the power of Kohler engines”

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Craftsman Across America will be in Kohler for both business and leisure. Before rolling into the worldwide headquarters of Kohler Engines for a Wisconsin-style brat fry, Craftsman Across America will perform some grooming at world-famous Whistling Straits, the pristine golf course that hosted the recent 92^nd PGA Championship. Scheduled to appear at the Kohler Engines Brat Fry are the “lawnmower man” himself, Lucas Van Engen, plus “Cash,” the Craftsman Riding Garden Tractor that carried Van Engen from California to New York City, as well as officials from both Craftsman and Kohler.

“Craftsman deserves much credit for envisioning such a patently American way to demonstrate the craftsmanship and reliability of Craftsman riding garden tractors and the power of Kohler engines,” said Tom Cromwell, president, Kohler Engines. “It’s one thing to product test in a lab, it’s quite another to measure the performance of a lawn mower and its engine in the extreme conditions of a 3,300 mile great American road trip spanning sea to shining sea, while meeting the people of America’s Heartland along the way. The folks at Kohler Engines take great pride in their work and the quality of our product, which is reflected in the Craftsman Across America achievement. It will be Kohler’s honor to meet the man who has real-world proven the durability of Kohler Engines.”

Media Opportunities to meet Lucas Van Engen (complete details in attached media alert)

Whistling Straits Gets A Trim

• Shortly after the players and throngs of fans have departed the home of the 92^nd PGA Championship, Craftsman Across America driver Lucas Van Engen and coast-to-coast tested “Cash” will provide some initial grooming on Whistling Straits, the world-renowned championship golf course scheduled to host the PGA Championship again in 2015.

Kohler Engines Brat Fry

• The men and women of Kohler Engines meet the “lawnmower man” himself while celebrating the achievement of Craftsman Across America with some Wisconsin-style hospitality. Lucas Van Engen is scheduled to speak about his slow motion road trip across America and share stories from his three-plus month, nationwide product test of a KOHLER-powered Craftsman Tractor.

Learn More About Craftsman Across America

In addition to crossing the finish line and sharing his story live on FOX & Friends this morning (Aug. 24) Craftsman Across America driver Lucas Van Engen has documented his journey in a daily blog, including commentary, images and video from the road.

About the Craftsman Riding Garden Tractor

The Craftsman lawn tractor now a veteran of a journey across America is the Craftsman 54-inch KOHLER Courage 26-horsepower Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor. It provides the latest in durability, comfort and performance from Craftsman. The garden tractor can cut grass at speeds up to 7.5 MPH, matching the speed of many zero-turn tractors. It is powered by a 26-horsepower KOHLER Courage V-twin engine with overhead valves. The heavy-duty premium hydrostatic/automatic transmission matches the speed of the mower with the job at hand. It also features a 54-inch precision cutting deck with four gauge wheels. The Craftsman 54-inch Kohler Courage 26-horsepower Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor retails for $3,479.99.

About the driver: Lucas Van Engen

Van Engen currently resides in New York City and grew up in South Bend, Ind. For Van Engen, the day-to-day of Craftsman Across America — traveling across the country, interviewing, meeting people and learning their stories, all while subjecting a lawn mower to the mother of all product tests — symbolized a dream come true. With a love for engineering and a passion for people and travel, Van Engen proved to be the perfect driver for Craftsman Across America.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com.

About Sears Hometown Stores

Sears Hometown Stores were developed seventeen years ago to serve Sears customers in locations outside of major metropolitan cities. There are currently nearly 950 Hometown Stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. These stores carry all of the top home appliance brands, consumer electronics, tools and lawn and garden equipment. Sears Hometown Stores, LLC carry proprietary Sears' brands, such as Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, as well as a wide assortment of national brands. In addition, Sears Hometown Stores are locally owned and operated by dedicated, hard working individuals that take great pride in serving their communities and representing Sears nationwide. For more information, visit Sears Hometown Stores' website at www.searshometownstores.com.

About Kohler Global Power Group

Providing dependable power solutions in the United States since the early 1920s, Kohler Co. has evolved its Global Power Group into a worldwide organization encompassing generators, engines and rental power. The Global Power Group is comprised of Kohler Power Systems, SDMO Industries, Uninterruptible Power Supplies Ltd (UPSL), Kohler Rental Power, as well as Kohler Engines and Lombardini, Srl.

Kohler Power Systems is a global manufacturer of power generation equipment for residential, industrial, mobile and marine applications, with a power output range of 3.5 kW to 3250 kW. Based in France, SDMO Industries delivers energy solutions — industrial generators up to 2,800 kW, as well as portable generators — for markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Combined, SDMO and Kohler Power Systems create the world’s third-largest generator (gaseous-, petrol- and diesel-powered) manufacturer. Kohler also offers automatic transfer switches, switchgear, monitoring controls and accessories. UPSL is a leading uninterruptible power supply system, as well as power protection product and services provider for the United Kingdom.

Kohler Rental Power provides temporary power, HVAC, luxury restrooms, as well as complete planning, implementation and professional support to the industrial, commercial, disaster recovery and event markets throughout the United States.

Kohler Engines, along with Italy-based Lombardini, represent a global engine concern in business since the 1920s. Together, Kohler Engines and Lombardini manufacture a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines, from 4 to 64.4 hp, which are supplied to equipment manufacturers worldwide in the lawn and garden, commercial and industrial, agricultural and construction markets.

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wis., Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and international host to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.