Briggs & Stratton Consolidates Plant to Auburn

Briggs & Stratton will eliminate 430 jobs and close its Jefferson, Milwaukee facility that makes pressure washers and portable generators by mid next year. Ninety to 100 additional employees, who are salaried, will being offered relocation packages.

The world’s largest manufacturer of small gasoline-powered engines said Wednesday production in Jefferson will be consolidated into facilities in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa and in Auburn, Ala. and McDonough, Ga. Company spokeswoman Laura Timm says the Jefferson facility will be sold.

She expects all operations in Jefferson to cease by June 2010, with the majority of production relocated by January.  The Milwaukee-based company says the production relocation is due to market volatility, the recession and capacity in other locations.

Briggs & Stratton estimates about $11 million in pre-tax savings from the consolidation of operations in fiscal 2011.