Exmark fans, meet Steve Finkner. He’s one of our talented engineers who helps make Exmark mowers the very best.

Steve Finkner: Sr. Engineering Manager

Steve’s been around long enough to see his department grow from 4 to 40+ people. But the growth hasn’t had a negative effect on their culture. As a matter of fact, everyone here is just as committed to creating a better product as the very first engineer hired. Steve can vouch for that. He credits it to having Exmark’s core values and beliefs passed down to every new employee walking through the door. This approach happens in every department. That’s why, when speaking to Exmark employees, you quickly notice they’re all on the same page.

Outside Exmark, Steve practices what he engineers by helping his kids run their own landscaping business. They’re out there on hot summer days working hard and finding great satisfaction in giving their clients a great-looking lawn. That kind of experience comes in handy when Steve’s working on a new mower or improving an existing model. He knows first hand what it takes to make a pro’s job and life that much easier.

What do you think of Steve’s handiwork? Leave a comment below.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the industry’s top-notch cutting platforms, we’d like to introduce you to Garry Busboom. He was one of the masterminds behind the original Lazer Z and the redesign of the Exmark deck, including the patented Flow Control Baffles.

We sat down with Garry and picked his brain about cutting platforms. Here’s what he had to say:

Exmark: What are the different elements that can affect the cut quality?

Garry: The list can seem limitless … cutting fast or slow, high or low …  spring, summer, fall, morning, noon or night and types of grass — just to name a few.

Anything environmental…from morning dew to rain or shine, no matter how slight, can have a big impact on the results.

E: How do environmental conditions affect the cutting platform?

G: Any variation in the environmental conditions affects the physical properties of the grass and in turn may have a significant impact on how the mower deck performs. Our goal is to design a deck that will perform at an exceptional level in as many conditions as possible  to be able to provide a product to our landscape pro’s that meets or exceeds his expectations.

E: What were you doing before joining Exmark?

G: I used to design combines and had great fun doing it, so working with mowers seemed like a natural next step. You think about a lawnmower, it’s just a mini combine.

E: If you were a mower, what mower would you be?

G: An LZX29KA606 because I believe it’s the most versatile and productive machine we offer.

E: What does the future hold for Exmark cutting platforms?

G: We’re constantly working to improve the performance of our cutting platforms …it’s always a journey, not a destination.  Our job is to give the landscape pro the best tool for his job and continuously seek for better ways of doing things–that vision and mission will never change.

Have a question for Garry, have a comment or want to share what kind of mower you would be? Leave us a comment below.

Last November we launched exmarkpride.com and found a community of Exmark enthusiasts. We also put out a special incentive for members who joined the crew before December 31st: a brand new Lazer Z.

This month we’re excited to announce Josh Levien as our winner. Josh, now the proud owner of a Lazer Z X-Series unit, has strong ties to Exmark. Taking his first ride on a Turf Ranger at the impressionable age of 13, Josh comes from a family of lawn care pros. His dad, Carl Levien, opened Carl’s Mower & Saw when Josh was 12. Josh now works as the store’s Parts Manager alongside his mom, three younger brothers and wife.

The strong family ties are just one of the things Josh loves about working at Carl’s. He also enjoys working with his customers and getting to, “supply people with the best outdoor power equipment in the industry.”

When he’s not at work, Josh spends his time working in the yard, long boarding and playing softball. He’s also looking forward to trading in his walk-behind for that new Lazer Z, giving him more time to spend with his wife and three children.

Congratulations Josh. We’re glad to have you on the crew.

For your chance to be our next winner, sign-up at exmarkpride.com and enter this month’s contest!

We’re excited to announce that we’ve entered into a partnership with Innovative Equine Marketing, LLC and its Equine Savings program. Based in Georgetown, Ky., Innovative Equine Marketing provides product support to equine facilities and tracks in North America. Through this new relationship, individuals in the equine industry will have access to preferred pricing on Exmark mowing equipment, as well as Toro turf and landscape maintenance products and precision irrigation solutions.

We thought the equine industry seemed like a perfect fit for us. Having the best turf conditions is important for the equine industry. We’re also excited to be the provider of quality, high-performing products and services to help customers manage their equine operations successfully.

“To have The Toro Company and Exmark Manufacturing commit to a multi-year partnership in support of our industry is quite an honor,” said Steve Andersen, founder of Innovative Equine Marketing. He thinks that even the smallest equine facilities specializing in any breed or discipline can look forward to this partnership. The partnership provides a tremendous value to the industry through its low-rate financing and preferred pricing.

To learn more about Innovative Equine Marketing, please call 877-905-0004 or visit www.equinesavings.com.

Are you part of the equine industry? What are your thoughts on our new alliance? Share your thoughts below.

The countdown has begun for this year’s National Farm Machinery Show. We’re loading up the trailers, filling up the tanks and heading to Louisville, Kentucky for another exciting year of meeting customers, answering questions and unveiling the latest and greatest in our mower line-up.

This year, we’ll have the new Pioneer Series and the newly designed Quest mower on display. They’re the latest consumer machines to be included in the Exmark family.

If you’ll be at the show, swing by booth 5050 to get a closer look at the mowers. We’ll also be on hand if you’d like to chat about all things turf.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s the nation’s largest indoor farm show that offers a great look at what you should expect in the coming year. If you want to learn more about the show, click here.

We hope to see all of you there.

Have you been to the show? Going to the show this year? Let us know with a comment below.

Exmark Employees' Holiday Donations

We’re proud to announce that this holiday season, many Exmark employees gave back to the local community through a variety of donations to local charities.

Community Food Pantry Donation

The Exmark team raised nearly $10,000 for the local United Way branch. The donation was then matched by the Toro Giving Program for a total contribution of over $17,000.

Also, at Exmark’s annual Christmas party, the Exmark Employee Council collected food and monetary donations for the Community Food Pantry, an organization supporting families needing assistance with food, rent and utility payments. Exmark employees donated over $1,200 and four vehicle loads of food from its efforts.

Thanks to all who participated here at Exmark!

The new Vantage featuring a 36" cutting deck

It’s been more than a year since we introduced the Vantage. During that time, we’ve continued to tweak and make the Vantage one of the most comfortable, reliable and productive stand-on mowers in the industry.

This year, we’ve made a few additions to the mower. The first addition is a new 36″ Vantage with the UltraCut Series 3 cutting deck technology. This new 36″ unit makes getting in and out of gates easier and comes with integrated tie-down points for secure trailering.

We’ve also added a new fuel efficient option to the Vantage product line — a 25 hp Kohler Command Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Pro V-Twin engine.

Of course both of the new options available will still have the standard great stuff you’ve come to love about the Vantage including;

• Speeds up to 8 mph forward and 4 mph reverse
• Self-compensating suspension makes standing more comfortable
• Adjustable platform for mowing hill sides and fold up ability allowing for walk-behind functionality
• Heavy duty canister air filtration system

If you have time in the next few months, we encourage you to test out the new 36” Vantage and tell us what you think.

Love the Vantage?  Tested it already? Share your thoughts below.

A few weeks ago, we announced a brand new addition to the Exmark line-up — the new Exmark Pioneer Series. These mowers offer the same great performance and quality of cut that you’re used to with an Exmark.  Here are the details on the new series:

Pioneer S-Series

Pioneer S-Series

Pioneer S-Series is equipped with full-floating 44”, 48” or 52” Trivantage cutting technology and 20, 22 or 24 hp Kawasaki® V-Twin engines for speeds of up to 8 mph forward and 5 mph reverse. The mower’s hydraulically dampened steering system offers true zero-turn radius maneuverability and its unibody, heavy-duty tubular steel frame provides a solid platform. The Pioneer S-Series also includes 22 x 9.5 – 12 Turf Master® drive tires for optimum traction.

Pioneer E-Series

Pioneer E-Series

The Pioneer E-Series features a full-floating 48” or 52” Trivantage cutting deck. Power comes from 22 or 24 hp Kawasaki® V-Twin engines for drive speeds of up to 7 mph forward and 5 mph reverse on 20 x 8.0 – 10.0 Turf Master® tires.

What do you think of the new Pioneer series? Let us know in a comment below.

This week’s post is from Karen Jurgens, whose true holiday spirit can’t be dampened by a little snow.

Karen Jurgens – Assembler

We always celebrate the holidays with my kids and grandkids coming to our house on Christmas Eve for a sit-down dinner of prime rib with all the fixings. Then we head to the living room where we open presents and catch up. Last year things didn’t go according to plan. If you remember, some major storms, make that blizzards, hit the Midwest. There was one particularly nasty storm right around Christmas that knocked out power lines and closed roads. Well I wasn’t going to let that scrooge ruin our holiday. I put the prime rib in the freezer and moved Christmas to January. Hey, tradition is tradition and no amount of snow in the world was going to ruin it for us. So come January, my kids and grandkids came down and we ate dinner and opened presents. Now that I think about it, this Christmas will be our second in 2010. Not too shabby if you ask me.

No matter how you and your family celebrate, everyone at Exmark wishes you a happy holiday season.

This year was a big one: we introduced a number of new units at GIE+EXPO, including the Pioneer Series and the new Vantage. We also introduced five new energy efficient units for 2011.

Energy efficiency is an important and growing area of focus for the landscaping industry. We believe it is part of our responsibility at Exmark to provide landscape professionals with the option of selecting an energy efficient mower when they make a purchase.

Here’s a look at the new Electronic Fuel Injected (EFI) units for 2011 – all designed to cut fuel and save you money.

• Lazer Z X-Series (29 hp Kohler EFI engine)
• Lazer Z S-Series (25 or 29 hp Kohler EFI engine)
• Navigator (27 hp Kohler EFI engine)
• Turf Tracer X-Series (21 hp Kohler EFI engine)
• Vantage (25 hp Kohler EFI engine)

The entire fleet of EFI units features a state-of-the-art Kohler PRO EFI engine, which is the industry’s first closed loop fuel injection system. These new engines can allow the units to consume up to 25 percent less fuel than a standard carburetor-powered mower for savings that really add up over time.

What do you think of the new 2011 EFI units? Do you own an EFI unit? Tell us about it in the comments section.