Briggs & Stratton Corporation Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Generac Portable Products, Inc.

    MILWAUKEE, March 22 Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced today that it has signed a
definitive agreement to acquire Generac Portable Products, Inc., of Jefferson,
Wisconsin, on terms consistent with the letter of intent previously announced
by Briggs.
    Generac Portable Products is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer
of engine-powered products.  The company's two principal product lines are
portable generators and pressure washers.
    Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the world's largest producer of air
cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment.  The company designs,
manufactures, markets and services these products for original equipment
manufacturers worldwide.
    This release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected in the forward-looking statements.  The words
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "objective," and "think" or
similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  The
forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current views and
assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that include, among other
things, the completion of the transaction; anticipated sales and manufacturing
levels; operating expenses; interest expense; the effects of weather on
consumer purchasing patterns for generators; the seasonal nature of the
generator and pressure washer business; the speed and timing of the reduction
of generator inventories remaining from Y2K; actions of competitor engine and
original equipment manufacturers; changes in laws and regulations, including
accounting standards; employee relations; customer demand; prices of purchased
raw materials and parts; domestic economic conditions, including housing
starts and changes in consumer disposable income; and other factors that may
be disclosed from time to time in SEC filings or otherwise.  Some or all of
the factors may be beyond the Company's control.