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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SHIPMENTS PREDICTED TO DECLINE IN 2001-2002

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 2000 - The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute's (OPEI) Economic Forecast for consumer-type equipment and certain commercial turf products, revised in November 2000, shows a decline in 2001 and 2002. For the 2001 model year, shipments of consumer walk-behinds are forecast to decrease by 1.8% to 6,031,941, while all riding units are forecast to drop 3.8% to 1,650,797. For 2002, the drop will not be as significant: consumer walk-behinds will be down by .7%, and all riding units will drop 1.5%. Rising mortgage rates are impacting the housing market, and this trend is expected to continue into 2002.

The current forecast, for model year 2001, is September 1, 2000 - August 31, 2001 and for model year 2002, September 1, 2001 - August 31, 2002. OPEI's Economic Forecast for the outdoor power equipment industry is prepared by Association Research, Inc. The forecast is compiled and released on a quarterly basis.

OPEI is a trade association whose membership is primarily composed of U.S. manufacturers of powered lawn and garden maintenance products, components and attachment supplies, as well as industry related services. OPEI's domestic members manufacture in excess of 95% of the U.S. consumer retail market for gas and electric powered lawn and garden maintenance products.

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SUMMARY INFORMATION

ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR THE OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY

SPONSORED BY:
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT INSTITUTE
341 SOUTH PATRICK STREET
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314

FORECAST PREPARED BY:
ASSOCIATION RESEARCH, INC.
4 RESEARCH PLACE
ROCKVILLE, MD 20850

NOVEMBER 2000

This summary information is extracted from the Outdoor Power Equipment Instituteís (OPEI) Economic Forecast for the Outdoor Power Equipment Industry updated in August 2000 to reflect OPEI's estimates of total shipments for model years 2000 and 2001. The complete forecast, based on an econometric model developed by Association Research, Inc. (ARI), provides shipments data, by quarter, for each of the following OPE segments:

• Walk-Behind Power Mowers
• Rear-Engine Riding Mowers
• Front Engine Lawn Tractors
• Riding Garden Tractors
• Intermediate Size Commercial Walk-Behind Mowers
• Tillers
• Commercial Riding Rotary Turf Mowers

Additionally, information provided to the OPEI membership includes a comprehensive discussion of assumptions about the U.S. economy and their relationship to the outdoor power equipment industry.

The table provided shows the forecast for OPEI model years 2001 (September 2000 - August 2001) and 2002 (September 2001 - August 2002).

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