Lincoln Journal Star

A week before Christmas, a glimmer of hope for relief shows up out of the winter's recession 

Husqvarna Turf Care in Beatrice has hired 60 people since November and needs to hire 100 more to make lawn mowers and turf care equipment.

Husqvarna is the world's largest producer of lawn mowers, chain saws and portable petrol-powered garden equipment.

Charlie Rogers, vice president of operations, said people from 40 or 50 miles away are coming through the door with applications.

This isn't just the cyclical gearing up to make summertime equipment, either.

"Most of this is new demand," Rogers said. "We kind of set a flat target last year for manufacturing. Now it's growing.

"We didn't do any mass layoffs last year or anything. We're trying to increase our production. Basically all of our lines, there's a real influx of orders coming in," Rogers said.

There were about 200 people working at the Husqvarna plant in Beatrice before the new hiring started, Rogers said.

The plant makes a vast bariety of mowers, zero-turn radios mowers, and specialty equipment like sod cutters and aerators.

Demand is coming from "all over," Rogers said, overseas and domestic.