Briggs & Stratton Corporation Announces Completion of Securities Offerings

    MILWAUKEE, May 15 Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced today that on May 14, 2001 it
completed the previously announced proposed sale of $275,000,000 of 8.875%
senior notes due March 15, 2011 and $140,000,000 of 5.00% convertible senior
notes due May 15, 2006.  The convertible notes are convertible into the
company's common stock at the conversion rate of 20.1846 shares per each
$1,000 of convertible notes.
    The net proceeds from the sale of the senior notes and convertible senior
notes are being used to fund the company's acquisition of Generac Portable
Products, Inc., which was completed today, including the replacement of
Generac's outstanding debt, and to repay a portion of the company's unrated
commercial paper and short-term borrowings under its credit facilities.
    The senior notes and the convertible senior notes were issued in separate
private placements for resale by the initial purchasers to qualified
institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of
1933.
    These securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933
or applicable state laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States
absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

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