When Walker Mfg. introduced its first lawn mower in the late 1970s, the company was committed to producing a compact, maneuverable machine that would be unsurpassed in performance. Over the years, Walker Mfg. never lost that commitment. Its mowers today - still compact and maneuverable - continue to outperform larger competitors.

The students gather for a moment before going to their next class. They are enrolled in Monte Vista Christian School, Watsonville, California, a co-educational and non-denominational institution for students in grades 6 through 12.

When our readers noticed the story from France in the last issue and read stories from Australia and New Zealand in this issue, they might think this is a "flair for the dramatic" by talking about international customers - send a handful of machines overseas and make a big deal out of it. Actually, these stories represent a true picture of the worldwide opportunity we've found with the Walker Mower. For over 10 years our export sales have averaged 20% to 25% of the total business. In '97, the Australasian market alone took 7.9% of our production.

Craig Hughes is a man on a mission. As grounds supervisor for Tracy Public Schols in Tracy, California, he is responsible for maintaining 17 school sites. His crews mow upwards of 230 acres of grass weekly, perform saftey inspections at playgrounds, prep athletic fields and overall maintain the school grounds.

When Laura Breeze and her family moved from New Zealand to Calgary in 1977, landscaping was the furthest thing from their minds. Laura was a nursery school teacher, and husband Rex worked as a building operator for a property management firm. When the firm's maintenance contractor failed to show up one week, Rex's boss asked if he knew someone who could mow the lawn. Laura volunteered, and she's been mowing ever since.

By most accounts Brian Larsen is a late bloomer in this industry. He left the forest business and a desk job at age 50, and purchased a tractor mowing company. Homeowner inquiries led him naturally to the landscaping industry where he now maintains three large residential locations, 20 to 25 smaller residences, three institutional sites, and four commercial properties.