The Toro Co. has submitted plans to the city of Bloomington to expand its corporate headquarters with a 75,000-square-foot, three-story addition. The expansion is slated for the north side of Toro's existing 1952-built, single-story headquarters near the intersection of Lyndale Avenue South and 82nd Street West, according to Larry Lee, Bloomington's director of community development.

STIHL Inc. Names Steve Meriam as Director of Sales

Toro Co. said its fiscal second-quarter net income rose 14 percent, helped by stronger demand for professional landscaping and construction equipment.

This year's hurricane season is predicted to be a busy one with above-average activity, according to a recent report released by Colorado State University. Sponsored by the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Preparedness Week aims to increase public awareness of emergency preparation and the upcoming season that runs from June 1 through November 30. Beginning on May 26, the weeklong emergency preparedness event provides a good opportunity for those living in hurricane-prone areas to take steps to help ensure their family and home is safe before a storm hits.

Auto dealers will have greater flexibility in their dealings with auto manufacturers after the House voted on Wednesday 338-30 to approve Senate Bill 126. The "Auto Dealers Bill of Rights" changes business practices between manufacturers and their dealers, giving local auto and construction and farm equipment dealers more flexibility to run their franchises. All other states have similar laws.

Strengthening Housing Market Helps Lowes Recover from Cold Spring

That's right. Oprah Winfrey, billionaire and super-celebrity, is growing vegetables on her new rural acreage and has renovated an old farmhouse. Her farm just happens be on the side of a volcano in Maui. We're glad to see her join the ranks of those connecting to the land.

Tis the season for mulch, weed control, cutting the grass and trimming the hedges. So fire-up the engines on your outdoor power equipment if you want to be a good neighbor, because in a recent survey conducted for Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG) by Harris Interactive, 93 percent of homeowners agree that maintaining a good looking yard is common courtesy to their neighbors. And, 85 percent of homeowners think that neighbors who don't maintain a good looking yard can bring down property values for those around them.

B&W Trailer Hitches, a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of heavy-duty, engineered trailer hitches and aftermarket truck/trailer accessories, announced that it has begun shipping its new GNRK 1314 aftermarket gooseneck trailer hitch to its nationwide distribution network. The new hitch features B&W's popular Turnoverball design and provides the same ease of installation and simplicity of use that the North American trailer-hauling marketplace has come to know and expect.

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW), the North American leader in the design, manufacture and sale of snow and ice control equipment for light trucks , today announced that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets of TrynEx, Inc., the leader in truck mounted salt and sand spreader equipment under the brand name SnowEx