"What it comes down to is that we use KOHLER for one reason: Our customers want Kohler."
-- Stan Guyer, Grasshopper

"If you know the product, you know the people," says Randy Prigge, Senior Account Executive, Kohler Engines, of the renowned The Grasshopper Company, manufacturers of mowers that command an almost rabid following by commercial cutters around the world.

Empowered by a distinctive "culture of equals," engineers are armed with computer driven CAD/CAM systems, while highly-trained production associates guide precision robotics, lasers, and CNC machines. The plant hums along 24-hours a day producing a high volume of quality Grasshopper mowers.

"We have a couple of simple philosophies that have served us well," says Stan Guyer, President of Grasshopper. "First, we're all equals here - there are no executive parking places and managers don't ask employees to do tasks they wouldn't do themselves. Second, all 250 employees agree on one thing and that's technology."

Grasshopper's Series 725A model - powered by the liquid cooled Kohler Aegis 25 - rolling off the assembly line are a reminder that Grasshopper has been using KOHLER for 33 years. In fact, the first production Grasshopper in 1970 was KOHLER powered, and since then the company has used about 15 different KOHLER engines on mowers.

"What it comes down to is that we use KOHLER for one reason: Our customers want KOHLER. They're great engines, but their field support and parts availability is just as important. Our customers are mostly commercial contractors and they simply cannot be down waiting for parts."

Grasshopper is currently powering a wide range of mowers and decks with four KOHLER engine models: Triad OHC, Command, Command PRO, and KOHLER Aegis.

"We performed in-depth engine qualification tests on KOHLER Aegis," says Jim Rodgers, Director of Purchasing. "It not only runs cool, it also has plenty of power. That's a great combination. It actually exceeded our expectations by so much that we were able to replace the existing three-cylinder, 21hp liquid-cooled model and increase performance, all in a very cost-effective manner. This will give our customers an economical way to access extra power and performance."

Prigge points to another factor that has contributed to the long-term relationship between Grasshopper and Kohler: both companies are family-owned and therefore leaner, flatter and less bureaucratic than most.

"Family-owned companies think a little differently," says Prigge. "Their perspective and their time-line is extended. They're thinking in terms of generations. They naturally reinvest. At Grasshopper, they've done a wonderful job of blending new technologies and new facilities with tried-and-true systems and workflows. It reminds me a lot of Kohler."

Guyer agrees that it's hard to beat the vision and continuity that comes naturally to a company held by a small, tightly-knit group. "A lot of times in a family-held corporation, you don't do things for that quarter," says Guyer. "You do it more for the long-term. That's the biggest difference I see. Publicly-held corporations work on a quarterly basis, and that can be a real detriment. At Grasshopper, we're looking out to the horizon."

"We're very parallel companies," says Prigge. "The chemistry and the teamwork is really beneficial to us both. Our applications people get along very well with their engineering people. They'll work side-by-side on a challenge. There's a lot of communication, a lot of respect for one another's expertise and one another's business. I wouldn't be surprised to see the two companies still working with one another 30 years from now."