2024 EQUIP EXPO REVIEW
2024 EQUIP EXPO REVIEW
Andreas Rangert , Husqvarna N . America president ( back right ) talks with dealers at Equip Expo .
John Kmitta , associate publisher of Sportsfield Management , and Glenn Hansen , OPE + editor , attended Equip Expo – it was Kmitta ’ s 21st time and Hansen ’ s second . What was new and what was not ? From The West Wing to the Hardscape displays to the outdoor demos and through the main show floor , they covered it all . After the event , the two sat down to discuss the show and its impact on the power equipment industry .
Kmitta has been to Louisville quite a few times for Equip Expo and before that the GIE Plus Expo and before that International Lawn , Garden , and Power Equipment Expo . He missed a couple years back in the early 2000s , one for the birth of his daughter and again in 2020 due to the pandemic . For Hansen , this was only his second Equip Expo but he ’ s done many other trade events in the motorcycle industry and sports and fitness industry .
Did the companies in attendance show innovation this year ?
John Kmitta : There is always innovation on display ; that ' s one of the main reasons everyone attends and why the show continues to draw big numbers . We could debate what ' s truly innovative , but even in years where there hasn ' t been something groundbreaking , there are always going to be innovations , new developments and upgrades that are of interest . We continue to see proliferation of battery tools and robotics . For example , Husqvarna announced
John Deere ’ s growing line of zero-turn mowers awaits attendee inspection .
its new IQ series of Automowers arriving in spring 2025 . We saw plenty of companies launching or expanding battery-powered equipment lines , plus new charging options . All that said , plenty of gas-powered products were introduced .
Glenn Hansen : The entire industry is filled with innovation these days , so it ' s hard to just look at Equip Expo and say , “ yes , there was innovation .” I was glad to see a couple companies doing new things . Great to see Honda and its battery-powered zero turn mower . And John Deere with its growing line of commercial zero turns plus the cool tracking software for landscape pros . Segway
20 OPE + December 2024 www . OPE-Plus . com