Bass fishing icon Hank Parker recently praised Exmark employees in the company's manufacturing plant, citing the high quality of mowers rolling off the production line. Parker, who has been called the Michael Jordan of fishing, was in Beatrice, Neb., on Jan. 28 to tour Exmark's headquarters and help introduce Exmark's 2009 Outdoor Tour and marketing campaign to employees.
"On my plant tour, I saw the pride and Midwestern work ethic of employees who are putting everything they have into manufacturing the greatest mowers on the market," said Parker, who talked with nearly 400 Exmark employees. "As a spokesperson, the only thing I have is my credibility, so it is fun to work with an innovative company where quality is priority number one."
Exmark debuted the Outdoor Tour in 2008 after market research indicated that the majority of current Exmark owners were also outdoor enthusiasts. In 2009, Exmark will participate in more than 35 outdoor sports tradeshows, introducing its mowers to hunting, fishing and boating fans. The tour includes a gear giveaway sweepstakes featuring more than $24,000 in outdoor products, and an Exmark Arcade where kids and adults can try their hand at Wii and PlayStation 2 games.
"We have a responsibility to our employees and channel partners to grow our business, even in difficult times," said Daryn Walters, director of marketing for Exmark. "Although we are facing a challenging economy, investing in marketing in this down time is the right thing to do. When things turn around Exmark will be in an even better position to compete and earn our customers' business."