Exmark Awards New Next Lazer Z Mower to Ohio Resident

Part-time landscaper and full-time firefighter Barry Nichols traveled to Beatrice, Neb., Nov. 21, and will soon have an unusual souvenir from the trip — a new Next Lazer Z from Exmark.

Nichols, a resident of Loveland, Ohio, had the winning ticket in Exmark's Next Lazer Z giveaway at the 2008 Green Industry and Equipment EXPO (GIE+EXPO) in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 23-25. The prize package included a trip to Exmark's headquarters where Nichols watched his mower roll down the production line. Nichols also toured Exmark's facilities and spoke to employees at the company's annual Owner's Day.

This year was the first time Nichols had attended the annual GIE+Expo. A husband and father of three, Nichols took time off from his full-time job to travel to the show. Nichols' new mower is a Next Lazer Z LZZ29KA606, which includes a 29 horsepower Kawasaki engine and a 60-inch UltraCut Series 6 cutting deck. It is the second Exmark mower Nichols has owned.

He bought his first Exmark, a Lazer Z HP with a 50-inch deck, in 2006.

"I've used other mowers and thought my first Lazer Z was the Cadillac of mowers, but this new Next Lazer Z is the ultimate Cadillac," Nichols said. "As a guy who is running a pretty small business, I'm always trying to get the most work done with the least equipment and manpower, so I'm excited to have a mower that has a lot of power and is really productive."

Nichols took possession of his new mower mid-December. The Next Lazer Z will be shipped to Nichols' local dealer, Bramble Mower Sales & Service, in Newtown, Ohio.

"Everyone at Exmark is very proud to award a Next Lazer Z to Barry Nichols because he is a pretty accurate representation of the typical owner of an Exmark mower—hard working, humble and committed to providing quality service to his customers," said John Cloutier, senior marketing manager for Exmark.

Exmark, the leading manufacturer of commercial mowers, unveiled the Next Lazer Z last month at GIE+EXPO. The Next Lazer Z is an evolution of Exmark's core product, the Lazer Z. Three years in the making, the Next Lazer Z includes dozens of enhancements designed to reduce maintenance, improve traction and handling, and make the mower safer and more comfortable for landscape professionals.

The Next Lazer Z is available with a 3-year commercial and 5-year consumer warranty, and will be introduced at select Exmark dealerships in 2009.