...| The History of Lawn Mowers | Honors Thesis | | Amber Shukitia and Erik Kortum | 11/6/2013 | A brief history of the lawn mower and the different innovations that developed over the years will be researched and discussed. This discussion will include the functionality of the different styles over the ages, especially the abilities of the powerful mowers of today. The research will then be utilized in the design of our commercial riding mower deck lift system for capstone, along with discovering other advancements that may be taken into consideration for future designs. | 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures 3 List of Tables 3 Introduction 4 Developments through the Ages 4 Current Mower Designs and Accessories 5 Dixie Chopper Capstone Design 7 Possible Future Advancements 9 Conclusion 10 Acknowledgments 11 References 11 Appendices 13 3 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Scythe design Figure 2: First Lawn Mower Design Created by Budding Figure 3: Silens Messor Figure 4: Horse Drawn Mower from the mid 1800s Figure 5: Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Engine Powered Mower Figure 6: Walk-behind mower, the Toro Cordless Lawn Mower Figure 7: Riding mower, Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550 Figure 8: Tow-behind mower (does not move on its own, needs to be pulled) Figure 9: Original Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550 SolidWorks deck lift model Figure 10: Final Design of Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550 with adjustments LIST OF TABLES 1. Table 1: Bill...
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...Lawns in bloom Landscaping and cutting service | Proposal for Lawn Mowing Agreement | | | Sherlynne Baker11/18/2014 | | November 18, 2014 Mayor Edward Talmage and Augusta Town Council 2300 N Market Street Augusta, Oregon 23114 Dear Mr. Talmage and Augusta Town Council, The following proposal submission is in response to the Town of Augusta, Oregon’s request for proposals for lawn mowing services submitted in the Augusta Daily Times newspaper. The request for proposal included weekly mowing of 5 miles of route 24, 10 acres in Willoughby Park and 23 acres at Augusta Memorial Golf Course. Our company, Lawns in Bloom Landscaping and Cutting Service, has been in the landscaping business in Oregon for 60 years. My father began this business in 1954 and I worked for him for many years until his retirement earlier this year. Our proposal will give you a cost analysis and a projected schedule. It will also include our proposed bid for the job. We trust that you will find that our company will deliver the services that you are requesting. Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to speaking to you in the near future. Sincerely, Sherlynne Baker Proposed Schedule Monday Morning: * Four employees on tractor mowers will mow half of the Augusta Memorial Golf Course from 7 am until 10 am so we will not interfere with your players. Monday Afternoon: * Four employees on tractor mowers will go...
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...Swisher Mower&Machine Company | ------------------------------------------------- | Evaluating a Private Brand Distribution Opportunity | ------------------------------------------------- By: Waleed Kassabo | Problem definition Strategic issue Wayne Swisher is facing his first major decision which is accepting the offer of private branding distribution for SMC’s line of riding mowers or not From his point of view doing that sounds good opportunity, but he must take deeper look on the situation before making his final decision Objectives 1- Increase distribution coverage 2- Increase sales 3- Stabilize seasonal sales patterns Concerns 1- Financing costs for inventory and receivables 2- Cannibalization of current sales 3- Relations with existing wholesalers and dealers Situation Analysis Company / Products Swisher Mower is family based business founded by Max Swisher in the early 1950s, during the last 50 years (1950 -1996) Swisher Mower faced a lot changes in the market, demand and production. Swisher produce three type of lawn mower units with strong depends on the Ride King product which is three wheel riding mower that has a zero turning radius, Developed by max swisher in the 1950s. Swisher products are distinct from its competitors in simple design, high quality and longevity Demand According to the last industries report the sales trend is going up. Riding lawn mower sales are seasonal, about 33 % from the sales occur...
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...MANAGEMENT BUS506 Case Study Analysis: Swisher Mower and Machine Company Danel Trumić, Mirhat Kolašinac, Misala Pramenković International Burch University, Sarajevo MARKETING PROBLEM DEFINITION In early 1996, Wayne Swisher, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Swisher Mower and Machine Company (SMC) received a certified letter from a major national retail merchandise chain inquiring about a private brand distribution arrangement for SMC line of riding mowers. Wayne Swisher had only recently assumed his position as president and CEO from Max Swisher, his father and company founder. Wayne Swisher was previously vice president of sales, a position he held for six years following completion of the MBA program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Prior to graduate school he has worked in sales and marketing position for three years at a large Fortune 500 corporation. The private brand distribution proposal was the first major decision that he faced as president and CEO. He thought the inquiry presented an opportunity worth serious consideration, since unit volume sales of the SMC riding mower had plateau in recent years. The inquiry received by SMC concerning a private brand distribution arrangement requested a sample order of 700 standard riding mower units to be delivered in January 1997. The national retail merchandise chain expected to make an annual order of approximately 8200 units. The chain wanted to purchase the mowers at a price 5 percent lower...
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...global marketplace. Your group's paper should discuss the following (at a minimum): • A complete strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis (including at least 5 factors from each category and full explanations of why each factor is important and why it was placed in the category) of the environment that exists within ToolsCorp and the environment that ToolsCorp is proposing • An outline of the business plan to be developed for ToolsCorp's strategic initiative • A full mission statement containing the nine components and presented in a well written paragraph • Key operating principles as you will apply them • A preliminary market analysis • The one-year, five-year, and ten-year strategic objectives of the strategic initiatives presented as one strategic proposal for each time frame (3 strategic proposals in all), complete with implementation plans, potential ramifications, and feedback mechanisms • The additional material that your group considers necessary to support the case for going forward with ToolsCorp's global strategic initiative (This is not optional, you must input additional material.) Background Information ToolsCorp Corporation is a fictitious company that does exist anywhere. For the purpose of this course, it is located it in Tennessee. It builds power tools, lawn mowers, lawn furniture,...
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...Situation Audit Swisher Mower is a lawn and garden company that manufacturers lawn mowers in its plant in Warrensburg, Missouri. The company’s flagship product is the Ride King. In 1996, Swisher was approached by a national merchandise retailer offering to distribute Swisher’s standard mower under a private label. The retailer offered to distribute the product line, but included several stipulations that would change the Swisher’s distribution methods of its product. Sales within the industry are predominantly determined by changes within the economy. If the economy weakens, overall sales within the industry decrease. This cyclical effect can hinder or expand sales for a company, causing many companies to adjust their business strategies. Another cyclical effect arises from changing seasons, which determines when products will be sold. During the mid-1990s, households were expanding outside of metropolitan areas into vast suburbs across the country. Home owners have acquired larger amounts of property within the suburbs. As the population drifts outside of metropolitan areas, more land is devoted to residential property. New technologies have become available that have helped evolve the industry. More powerful and durable engines are being developed, allowing larger jobs to be completed. The lawn and garden equipment industry produced sales of $5.5 billion in 1995. Three quarters of the sales were from finished mowers, while 25% of sales came from engines. The industry is comprised...
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...Analysis and Recommendations The GreenMower survey that was conducted revealed many conclusions regarding the project and whether it is profitable and possible to move forward with the concept. Most of the people who took our survey were students which may have led our data to some invalid conclusions; however, this data is appropriate to work with for the moment. Students most likely live in dorms or apartments without grass lawns, therefore our results may be off in terms of the average household in the United States and around the world. Analysis: Nearly half of the people who took our survey answered that they do not have a grass lawn and if they do have a grass lawn, they have between 500-1000 square feet of grass; however, most people are unsure as to how much grass they have. Since lawn services are expensive, most people do not have a lawn service and targeting people who do and do not have a lawn service should be our main priority. The cost of the GreenMower would outweigh the cost of a lawn service in the long run, therefore benefitting those who do have a lawn service currently. With most people mowing their lawns 2-3 times a month, the purpose of the GreenMower is significant. Mowing your lawn can be both physically and time demanding, which means that purchasing the GreenMower is a practical solution for those who are too busy, elderly, or disabled. According to the data collected, our survey participants seem to think the idea of a hands-free lawnmower is...
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...work and present it individually. It is expected that each student work independently on all the tasks set out in this assignment, applying problem solving strategies and selecting appropriate techniques in data analysis in order to produce an individual report according to the guidelines provided. This individual work must be your own work only with no consultation with others. The individual report must not exceed 2,000 words. Those reports that exceed the similarity index of 25% produced by Turnitin, can only achieve a maximum grade of E. Assignment Title: “Performance Lawn Equipment” Issue date: Week One: Monday 19/10/2015 Submission due date: Week 7: 07/12/2015 Week 9: Friday 08/01/2016: A single report per student should be submitted via the TURNITIN link in the Assessment folder. Assignment must not be e-mailed under any circumstances. Unit co-ordinator’s name: C F Shooshtarian Core learning outcomes | | On completion of this unit you should be able to: | Assessment number | 1 | Investigate and analyse a variety of problems and data sets in the context of different analytics to develop insights in order to support management decision making. | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 2 | Apply statistical and mathematical technique to find solutions to analysis conducted using suitable software. | 1 | | | 2 | | | | Threshold standards | Assessment number | In order to pass the assessment you will need to: |...
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...DE LA SALLE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS “O.M. SCOTT & SONS COMPANY” SUBMITTED BY: ESTIMADA, ANNA GABRIELLA C. Executive Summary The O.M. Scott and Sons company was a company which first started to produce weed-free grass, but diversified into other products related to its product line: lawn mowers, fertilizers, and other garden paraphernalia. It encountered the problem of nationwide distribution, finding difficulty in the delivery of its product. The company solve this problem of nationwide distribution by first, increasing its work force to keep up with the voluminous orders. Second, by setting up dealerships which will distribute their products and lastly, establishing a trust receipt payment system in order to assure the quick returns of investments. Problem The company encountered difficulty in the distribution of its products for two reasons: the nature of its agriculturally based products necessitated the quick distribution of products upon order. The voluminous orders and distances of nationwide coverage rendered the distribution difficult. Corporate Objective In keeping up with the modernization of agricultural products and technology, the company expanded its product line by diversifying into related products and services. From grass, O.M. Scott & Sons started the production of fertilizers, lawn mowers and other products. This diversification assured the company against stagnation. Areas of Consideration ...
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...In preparation for Spring, consumers begin to think about yard work and making their lawn as beautiful as possible. This entails making sure that all lawn equipment is ready to cut grass and making it as easy as possible. Briggs in Stratton is a power engine company that has been around for 100 years. Briggs continues to strive for innovation and is dedicated to increasing success. To maintain the growth and profitability of the Briggs and Stratton Corporation, two products that I would like to add to the line of engines that the company produces is a lawnmower engine that can be interchanged into a generator and Gas Off, a new product that removes the gas smell from hands and clothes. Briggs and Stratton is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines. Therefore, introducing a mower engine that can be converted into a generator would add on to their innovative ideas. Consumers would be able to have one have a mower to cut grass as well as a generator when electricity is loss due to weather or for outdoor use. This product would also do well globally. The second product, Gas off, also would do well globally because almost everyone has spilled gas on themselves or clothes. To have a product that will erase the smell would be beneficial as well. The other benefit of Gas-off is that it will be available in wipes and liquid as well. The consumer will also be able to purchase the product in many different store chains. Whenever a new product is being introduced...
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...Marcus Lim, the cost accountant for Hi-Power Mower Company, recently installed activity-based costing at Hi-Power’s St. Louis lawn tractor (riding mower) plant where three models—the 8-horsepower Blade Runner, the 12-horsepower Quick Cut, and the 18-horsepower Super Cut—are manufactured. Marcus’s new product costs for these three models show that the company’s traditional costing system had been significantly under costing the 18-horsepower Super Cut. This was due primarily to the lower sales volume of the Super Cut compared to the Blade Runner and the Quick Cut. Before completing his analysis and reporting this result to management, Marcus is approached by his friend Ray Pon, who is the production manager for the 18-horsepower Super Cut model. Ray has heard from one of Marcus’s staff about the new product costs and is upset and worried for his job because the new costs show the Super cut to be losing, rather than making money. At first Ray condemns the new cost system, whereupon Marcus explains the practice of activity-based costing and why it is more accurate than the company’s present system. Even more worried now, Ray begs Marcus, “Massage the figures just enough to save the line from being discontinued. You don’t want me to lose my job do you? Anyway, nobody will know.” Marcus holds firm but agrees to recompute all his calculations for accuracy before submitting his costs to management. Questions (a) Who are the stakeholders in this situation? (b) What, if any, are...
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...Case Study Analysis: Locating the Next Red Lobster Restaurant Amanda K Passaretti February 7, 2015 Prof. Jonathan Bates BUS520: Operations Management From its first Red Lobster restaurant in 1968, Darden Restaurants has grown the chain to 690 locations, with over $2.6 billion in U.S. sales annually. The casual dining market may be crowded, with competitors such as Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday, Applebee’s, TGI Fridays, and Outback, but Darden’s continuing success means the chain thinks there is still plenty of room to grow. Robert Reiner, director of market development, is charged with identifying the sites that will maximize new store sales without cannibalizing sales at existing Red Lobster locations. Characteristics for identifying a good site have not changed in forty years; they still include real estate prices, customer age, competition, ethnicity, income, family size, population density, nearby hotels, and buying behavior, to name just a few. What has changed is the powerful software that allows Reiner to analyze a new site in five minutes, as opposed to the eight hours it took just a few years ago. Darden has partnered with MapInfo Corporation, whose geographic information system (GIS) contains a powerful module for analyzing a trade area. With the U.S. geocoded down to the individual block, MapInfo allows Reiner to create a psychographic profile of existing and potential Red Lobster trade areas. “We can now target areas with greatest sales potential,” says Reiner. The...
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...line of premium QuickAttach™ accessories and attachments gives your Cub Cadet equipment the power to take on even more jobs. They’re easy to attach and detach, and they give you the versatility to tackle more of your outdoor chores with confidence and ease. Whether you’re tilling, mowing, hauling or clearing snow, you’ll get the most out of your investment — making it more valuable through every season, year after year. WEIGHT BRACKETS/WEIGHTS LAWN SWEEPER POLY CART BLADE COLLECTION SYSTEMS STEEL CART SPREADER WEIGHTS AND CHAINS BUMPER KIT lOcATE A DEAlER AT CUBCADET.COM cubcadet.com InnOVATIOnS nO OnE ElSE cAn DElIVER. An ExpERIEncE nO OnE ElSE cAn MATch. pROVE IT TO yOuRSElf wITh A TEST DRIVE. ACCESSORIES & ATTACHMENTS COLLECTION SYSTEMS FRONTMOUNTED ACCESSORIES MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES MOWING DECKS REAR-MOUNTED ACCESSORIES ELEC TRiC LAWn HTS WEiG CASE SUiT AR T/RE KET C FROn L BRA WHEE ER ROLL LAWn REAR D E An SPiK R LAWnG AERATO PLU S iGHT L WE WHEE SnOW E TRiPL ER BAGG LAWn A 54" F ABRiC 48" F REAR SLEE TWin ER BAGG ER ATCH DETH E TAMP 42" S D E TAMP 54" S SnOW E TAMP 50" S TiRE MOW-n -VAC E BUMP L STEE SUnS CA POLY iT HT K WEiG SPRE MULC WER THRO SWEE BRiC ATED iTCH VE H YER SPRA E BUMP S CHAin E BL AD HADE ADER CART ATED R KiT H KiT PER RT D R D LTX 1040 LTX 1042 LTX 1045 LTX 1046 LTX 1050 SLTX...
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...1. For differentiation by style or type I think he could also offer services such as bush trimming, raking, edging. I think he could include these services for a small few in addition to mowing lawns. For differentiation of location, I think he should pass out flyers and in these flyers say how far he will go to do lawn work. He should also say that anyone’s house in his neighborhood is fair game, no matter how big it is, for getting their lawns mowed. The last, differentiation by quality, he needs to say how he will also take care of the lawn, not just mow it. Maybe he will fertilize the lawn after it’s freshly cut. People would pay more knowing that their lawn is getting all the care is needs. 2. a. If the EU has one fleet, the US will have a profit of $12,000 instead of $10,00. If they both send two fleets, they still make more if each was to send out one. The US will have higher profits even if the EU sends one or two. However, they both are equal if they send out one or two fleets earning $10,000 and $7,500 respectively. The two fleets is a better idea because they get $15,000 total if they really had just sent one for $10,000. b. If they go by the “tit-for-tat” strategy they will just start out by sending one. They will then wait to see who does what. So they will each just send out one a week and both will have a $10,00 profit. 3. a. HHI= 21.82 + 15.22+132+10.12+9.32+7.42+3.32+2.42+2.42+1.52= =475.24+231.04+169+102.01+86.49+54.76+10.89+5.76+2.25=1,137.44...
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...wanted (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2015, p. 153). Therefore, dissonance-reduction is one type of consumer behavior that explains a customer’s high involvement with products or services but has a perception that there is little to no difference between the brands. For example, Edward has plans to purchase a lawn mower, he knows he wants a riding mower and price shops around at the variety of stores to find the perfect one. Edward looks at Husqvarna, and Cub Cadet riding mowers; both has the same horse power, deck size, and specifications (color) that he wants but Edward cannot decide on which one to choose. The only difference between the two is the price; Husqvarna sells its 54” deck for $2,699.00 with a delivery charge of $225.00; and Cub Cadet sells its 54” deck for $3,099.99 with no delivery charge – delivery is free. Edward does not think there is a difference in the mowers but decides that he will purchase one or the other based on the size of his yard. After careful consideration he purchased the Cub Cadet riding mower specifically with the color he wanted, orange. A few weeks later, he likes the way the mower feels, its cutting techniques, and the way the lawn looks after a fresh cut. Four months after making the purchase under certain circumstances, Edward experiences dissonance reduction, he realized that the Husqvarna brand or any other brand would have been just as good, if not slightly better than the Cub Cadet brand. In fact, according to Losciuto & Perloff...
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