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Kohler Co. Donates Lawn Tractor and Engines to Family in Need

January 2012

KOHLER, Wis. – Jan. 3, 2012 – Kohler® Engines, a premium manufacturer and marketer of world class gas and diesel engines for lawn and garden, commercial, construction and agriculture markets since 1920, donated three engines and a lawn tractor powered by a KOHLER engine to the Gibbs family of West Union, Iowa. The family of six including Audrey who is legally blind, is the focal point of one of the last episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airing this Friday, January 6, 2012, at 8 p.m. EST/PST before the series finale.

“Kohler Co. has a long history of supporting the good works of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” said Justin Blount, director of marketing for Kohler Engines. “It is only fitting that Kohler Engines was able to aid the Gibbs family, whose children are also quite interested in engines and how they work.”

The three oldest sons –Josh, Nathan, and Thomas – are all engine enthusiasts. Kohler Engines donated a KOHLER Courage® XT, KOHLER Command® PRO Single Cylinder, and KOHLER Courage® V-Twin engines for the boys to “tinker” with at their leisure. The family also received a Craftsman 54" Garden Tractor powered by a 26 horse power KOHLER Command® PRO engine to mow their more than two acres of land.
 
About the Gibbs Family
Audrey Gibbs is a mother, a widow, a farm owner and a maternal optimist. Audrey won’t let anything stop her from raising her six children, not even her blindness and her battle with a potentially fatal disease.

Seven months after her husband died, Audrey had a brain aneurism that affected a quarter of her brain – leaving her legally blind. The doctors cannot say if she is going to lose her sight completely or even if she is going to live or die. Audrey has always been pragmatic and has no time for self-pity. She is passionately committed to do whatever it takes to raise her kids. Realizing she could not continue working as a cosmetologist, Audrey decided to attend massage therapy classes as she knew it was a career she could still practice after losing her sight. The Gibbs family own and live on a farm which they rent portions of to local farmers for additional income. Their farmhouse needed significant repair with no working toilet, a ceiling that is caving in, and a layout that does not work for the family – especially Audrey if she completely loses her eyesight.

About the Donated Products

• Brand new 2012 model year engine for Kohler
• Typically found on walk behind mowers
• Features Easy Pull™ Technology for a smooth, effortless starting experience
• Comes with Kohler’s Accu-Fill gas tank to limit gas spills

 

• Typically found on tillers, pressure washers, compressors, and generators
• 4-cycle, slant cylinder design
• 9.2 Peak torque at maximum pound feet (12.4 Newton meters)

 

• Typically found in riding lawn tractors
• Fueled by gasoline, this 4-cycle engine is built with an aluminum head and crankcase with cast iron cylinder liner
• Features 44 cubic inch displacement or 725cc
• Meets the high demands of even the biggest back yard with quick and reliable starting in all conditions

 

• Features a KOHLER 26-horsepower Courage® PRO V-Twin Engine
• Professional grade engine with easy access to check and fill the oil

• 4-cycle , overhead valve design engine
• Has a heavy-duty 54" mower deck with 3 cutting blades

• Cut grass up to 7.5 MPH with the 6-speed transmission

 

 

 
About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Emmy award winning reality program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, now in its 9th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Its executive-produced Brady Connell and George Verschoor. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Fridays from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on ABC.
 
 
About Kohler Engines
Together Kohler Engines and Lombardini, a KOHLER Company, represent a global engine concern manufacturing engines since the 1920s. Kohler Engines produces a wide range of gaseous, gasoline and diesel engines, from 4 to 74.3 hp, which are supplied to equipment manufacturers worldwide in the lawn and garden, commercial and industrial, agricultural and construction markets. To learn more, visit www.KohlerEngines.com or www.facebook.com/kohlerengines.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wis., Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies. KOHLER is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and an international host to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.
 

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Media Contact

Heidi Farmer
Kohler Engines
Public Relations
(920) 457-4441
ext. 74505

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