Briggs & Stratton is owned by KPS Capital Partners, a New York–based private equity firm that acquired substantially all of the company’s assets out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 for roughly $550 million. The manufacturer had traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BGG for decades before mounting debt forced a court-supervised sale. It now operates as a privately held company, which means its shares are not available to ordinary investors on any exchange.
How KPS Capital Partners Acquired the Company
On July 20, 2020, Briggs & Stratton and several of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Eastern District of Missouri.1Briggs & Stratton. Briggs & Stratton Enters Into Sale Agreement And Initiates Voluntary Reorganization Under Chapter 11 The filing wasn’t meant to restructure the old company and return it to its previous owners. It set up a court-supervised sale of nearly all the company’s assets to KPS through what’s known as a Section 363 process under the Bankruptcy Code.2KPS Capital Partners. KPS Capital Partners Agrees to Acquire Substantially All of the Assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Including Equity of Foreign Subsidiaries
KPS entered the process as the “stalking horse” bidder. Its $550 million offer set the minimum any rival bid had to beat. The bankruptcy court scheduled an auction to invite competing offers, but that auction was ultimately cancelled when no higher bids materialized. KPS came away with substantially all of Briggs & Stratton’s assets, including equity in foreign subsidiaries, free and clear of most prior debts and claims.2KPS Capital Partners. KPS Capital Partners Agrees to Acquire Substantially All of the Assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Including Equity of Foreign Subsidiaries
Who Is KPS Capital Partners
KPS Capital Partners specializes in acquiring manufacturing and industrial businesses that need significant operational or financial restructuring. The firm manages the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of private equity funds with approximately $19.1 billion in assets under management as of the end of 2025. That scale gives KPS the resources to invest heavily in retooling companies like Briggs & Stratton after taking them over.
What Happened to Former Briggs & Stratton Shareholders
If you held Briggs & Stratton stock before the bankruptcy, you lost your entire investment. The NYSE suspended trading in BGG shares and began delisting proceedings on the same day the company filed for Chapter 11. Shares briefly traded on the OTC Pink Market, but the company warned investors directly that there would “not be sufficient funds or other assets to allow holders of the Company’s common stock to receive any distribution of value.”3U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Form 8-K Current Report – Briggs & Stratton Corporation Shareholders were wiped out. This is a common outcome in Section 363 sales where a company’s debts exceed the value of its assets.
Because KPS bought the company’s assets rather than its corporate shell, the old Briggs & Stratton corporation effectively ceased to exist as a going concern. The new entity operates under the same name and continues the same product lines, but there is no continuity of ownership between the publicly traded company and the private one that exists today. Briggs & Stratton stock is not available on any exchange.
Leadership Under Private Ownership
Kristina Cerniglia has served as Chief Executive Officer since July 2024, overseeing day-to-day operations and strategic direction. The broader leadership team is organized around the company’s major business divisions. Tom Rugg heads Energy Solutions and Power, Michelle Kumbier leads Turf and Consumer Products along with Aftermarket Parts and Service, David Frank runs the Electrification division, and Brian Olsson serves as Chief Information Officer overseeing technology, engineering services, legal, and human resources.4Briggs & Stratton. About Briggs & Stratton The structure reflects KPS’s approach of organizing the company around distinct product categories rather than running it as a single monolithic engine manufacturer.
What Has Changed Since the Sale
The KPS acquisition included a portfolio of brands that goes well beyond the flagship engine line. The company designs, manufactures, and markets products under Briggs & Stratton, Vanguard, Ferris, Simplicity, Snapper, Billy Goat, and Victa, along with the Branco brand in Brazil.4Briggs & Stratton. About Briggs & Stratton Allmand, a manufacturer of light towers and portable heaters that was part of the original acquisition, was sold to Generac Power Systems in early 2026.
Beyond Wisconsin, the company operates manufacturing and production facilities in six countries outside the United States: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, and the Netherlands. That global footprint remained largely intact through the bankruptcy transition, since KPS acquired the equity in foreign subsidiaries as part of the deal.2KPS Capital Partners. KPS Capital Partners Agrees to Acquire Substantially All of the Assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Including Equity of Foreign Subsidiaries
Under KPS, the company has invested heavily in battery-powered alternatives through its Vanguard brand. As of early 2026, the Vanguard battery portfolio includes seven power options ranging from 1.5 kWh to 10 kWh, offered in both fixed and swappable configurations. The swappable packs use a brand-agnostic interface so different equipment manufacturers can adopt them without custom engineering. The smallest unit charges in under two hours and is rated for 1,000 charge cycles with no maintenance.5Briggs & Stratton. Vanguard Expands Industry-Leading Battery Lineup With Swappable Power Option A publicly traded company under quarterly earnings pressure might hesitate to pour capital into a battery platform that competes with its own gas engines. Private ownership removes that constraint.
What the Ownership Change Meant for Retirees
The bankruptcy hit retirees hard. Briggs & Stratton’s defined benefit pension plan, which covered nearly 5,000 participants, was terminated as of September 30, 2020. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation took over as trustee five days later, on October 5, 2020.6Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Questions and Answers for Participants in the Briggs & Stratton Pension Plan Benefit accruals under the traditional pension and cash balance portions of the plan had already been frozen in January 2014, so no active employees were earning new pension credits at the time of bankruptcy.
PBGC guarantees pension benefits up to certain statutory limits, and those limits can result in reduced payments for workers whose pensions exceeded the PBGC maximum. The guarantees for Briggs & Stratton participants are calculated based on service earned through July 20, 2020, the date the company entered bankruptcy.6Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Questions and Answers for Participants in the Briggs & Stratton Pension Plan Plan participants can find details specific to Briggs & Stratton on the PBGC’s dedicated Q&A page.
Why You Can’t Find Current Financials
When Briggs & Stratton traded on the NYSE, it filed annual 10-K reports, quarterly earnings statements, and executive compensation disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That transparency ended with the sale to KPS. Private companies that don’t sell securities to the public are generally exempt from SEC reporting requirements.7U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Private Companies and the SEC Current revenue figures, profit margins, and debt levels aren’t disclosed in any public filing. Financial information stays between KPS and its limited partners.