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                          BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATION

               Form 10-Q for Quarterly Period Ended March 26, 2000




                                Exhibit No. 10.1

                        AGREEMENT WITH EXECUTIVE OFFICER






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                                    AGREEMENT


         This Release and Settlement Agreement ("Agreement"), dated as of the
date hereof, is made between Briggs & Stratton Corporation (the "Employer"), a
Wisconsin corporation, with offices at 12301 West Wirth Street, Wauwatosa,
Wisconsin 53222, and Gerald E. Zitzer (the "Employee").

         WHEREAS, pursuant to the sale of the Company's castings operations, the
Employee will terminate his services with the Employer as of June 30, 2000 ("the
Effective Date").

         WHEREAS, the Employee and Employer are parties to an Employment
Agreement, dated January 30, 1998, and a Change in Control Employment Agreement,
dated February 19, 1990;

         WHEREAS, the Employee is a participant in Briggs & Stratton
Corporation's Stock Incentive Plan and the Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Economic Value Added Incentive Compensation Plan, as well as various employee
welfare benefit plans sponsored by Briggs & Stratton;

         WHEREAS, as of the Effective Date, the Employee will become an officer
and participant in various benefit plans of Metal Technologies, Inc. ("MTI").

         WHEREAS, the Employee and Employer desire to terminate the Employee's
rights under the benefit plans and agreements described above and agree upon the
responsibility of such payments and benefits;

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and covenants
contained herein, the Employee and Employer hereby agree as follows:

1-6 Covenants By the Parties.

         1.       The Employee's Employment Agreement, dated January 30, 1998,
                  and Change in Control Employment Agreement, dated February 19,
                  1990, will terminate as of the Effective Date. Except as
                  specifically provided elsewhere in this Agreement, no further
                  payments or other form of remuneration under the Employment
                  Agreement and Change in Control Employment Agreement are due
                  after the Effective Date.

         2.       The Employer agrees to pay the Employee a monthly salary of
                  $15,318.00, payable in semi-monthly installments, through
                  January 31, 2000. Thereafter, Employer shall pay Employee a
                  monthly salary of $1,000.00 through June 30, 2000.


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         3.       The Board of Directors and the Nominating, Compensation and
                  Governance Committee, by approving this Agreement, hereby
                  grant the Employee the right to exercise those Stock Options
                  that are exercisable as of the Effective Date, for the lesser
                  of three months or the balance of such Stock Option's term.
                  The Employer further agrees that the exercise date for the
                  8,500 unexercisable options granted August 5, 1997 and the
                  11,390 unexercisable options granted August 5, 1998 be
                  accelerated to the Effective Date and the accelerated options
                  will be cashed out pursuant to Section 5(k) of the Briggs &
                  Stratton Corporation Stock Incentive Plan. Other than as
                  provided above, no further payments or other form of
                  remuneration under the Briggs Stock Incentive Plan are due
                  after the Effective Date.

         4.       By August 20, 2000 and pursuant to the terms of Briggs &
                  Stratton's Economic Value Added Incentive Compensation Plan
                  ("EVA Plan"), the Employee will receive the EVA bonus earned
                  for his employment during fiscal 2000 and the entire balance
                  of the Bonus Bank, less any amount required by law to be
                  withheld for income or employment taxes, in complete payment
                  of all monies earned under the EVA Plan. The Employee agrees
                  that the Employee's participation in the EVA Plan will
                  terminate as of the Effective Date and no further form of
                  remuneration or payments beyond the covenants or obligations
                  of this Termination Agreement are due employee.

         5.       Employee and Employer agree that as of January 31, 2000,
                  employee will terminate further vesting under both the Briggs
                  & Stratton Corporation Retirement Plan (Qualified Plan) and
                  the Supplemental Retirement Plan (the "Supplemental Plan").
                  Any accrued benefit in such plans shall be transferred to
                  MTI's qualified retirement plan after such plan is
                  established. Employee shall be entitled to the pension benefit
                  under MTI's retirement plan in accordance with the plan's
                  provisions as they relate to vested terminees. The accrued
                  benefit shall be calculated pursuant to the terms and
                  conditions in existence under the Supplemental Plan as of the
                  Effective Date. Other than the obligation to transfer
                  Employee's accrued benefit in the Qualified Plan, and to
                  either provide Employee with a pension benefit under the
                  Supplemental Plan, or transfer Employee's accrued benefit
                  under the Qualified and the Supplemental Plans, Employer shall
                  have no further liability to Employee under the Plans.

         6.       Employee shall have the option any time to purchase medical
                  coverage of any kind then available to Company employees at
                  such active employee group rate as shall be in force at such
                  time, for the period commencing on his Separation Date and
                  continuing until he (or she) reaches age 65 (or such later
                  date should Medicare or Medicaid eligibility be changed) as
                  though he (or she) were covered by the medical coverage
                  continuation

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                  rules of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
                  1985, as amended ("COBRA") for that entire period.

         7.       Employee and Employer agree except as provided above, or
                  required by law, that as of the Effective Date, Employee will
                  cease to be a participant in any benefit plans of Employer.

         8.       Competition.
                  As a condition to the receipt of the right to accelerate
                  options described in Section 3 hereof which are in excess of
                  the benefits, Employee agrees to abide by the terms of this
                  Section 8. For a period of 3 years after the Employee's
                  separation from service with the Employer, Employee will not,
                  directly or indirectly, own, manage, operate, control, be
                  connected with the ownership, management, operation or control
                  of any entity in the United States of America which competes
                  with the Employer, or be employed by, perform service for,
                  consult with or solicit business for any such entity. Employee
                  agrees that the restrictions set forth in this Section 6 are
                  fair and reasonable and are reasonably required for the
                  protection of the Employer. Employer's sole remedy for
                  Employee's breach of this Section 6 shall be to forever
                  withhold from Employee, and any person claiming through
                  Employee, any further payments described in the first clause
                  of the first sentence of this Section 8.

         9.       Non-Disclosure and Non-Solicitation.
                  During the term of his employment with the Company and for
                  three years after the termination of his employment with the
                  Company for any reason, Employee shall not, and Employee shall
                  use his best efforts (which best efforts shall include,
                  without limitation, notifying the Board of Directors of the
                  Company of any suspected breach of this Section 9.) to ensure
                  that any persons or entities over which Employee has control
                  do not, directly or indirectly, use any Company proprietary or
                  other confidential information for any purpose not associated
                  with Company activities, or disseminate or disclose any such
                  information to any person or entity not affiliated with the
                  Company. Such Company proprietary or other confidential
                  information includes without limitation sales methods,
                  prospecting methods, customer lists and customer contacts,
                  computer technology, programs and data, whether on-line or
                  off-loaded on disk format, inventions, improvements, trade
                  secrets, drawings, designs, cost information, prototypes, new
                  product plans, proposed product improvements, methods of
                  presentation and any other plans, programs and materials used
                  in managing, marketing or furthering Company business. Upon
                  termination of Employee's employment relationship with the
                  Company, Employee shall return to the Company all documents,
                  records, notebooks, manuals, computer disks and similar
                  repositories of or containing Company proprietary or other
                  confidential information, including all copies thereof, then
                  in Employee's possession or control,

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                  whether prepared by Employee or otherwise. Employee
                  shall undertake all reasonably necessary and appropriate steps
                  to ensure that the confidentiality of Company proprietary or
                  other confidential information shall be maintained.

         10.      Release.
                  The Employee, for himself, his heirs, personal
                  representatives and assigns does hereby remise, release and
                  discharge Briggs & Stratton Corporation, its subsidiaries,
                  affiliates, its officers, directors, employees and its agents,
                  attorneys, heirs, successors ("Released Parties") of and from
                  any and all manner of action or actions, cause or cause of
                  action, suits, debts, covenants, contracts, agreements,
                  judgments, executions, claims (including, but not limited to,
                  contribution), liabilities, obligations and demands whatsoever
                  in law or equity, whether known or unknown, anticipated or
                  unanticipated, matured or unmatured, liquidated or
                  unliquidated, fixed or contingent, which the Employee now has
                  or may have against the Released Parties, for or by reason of
                  any transaction, matter cause or thing whatsoever whether
                  based on tort, contract, or otherwise, expressed or implied,
                  or any federal, state or local law, statute, or regulation
                  concerning the benefit plans or agreements described above in
                  this Agreement; provided, however that this Agreement shall
                  not release the Released Parties from the covenants or
                  obligations set forth in this Agreement.

         11.      Entire Agreement.
                  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the
                  parties with respect to the subject matter described herein
                  and there are no understandings or agreements relating to this
                  Agreement that are not fully expressed in this Agreement.

         12.      Waivers and Amendments.
                  This Agreement may be amended, superseded, canceled, renewed,
                  or modified, and the terms hereof may be waived only by a
                  written instrument signed by the parties or, in the case of a
                  waiver, by the party waiving compliance. No delay on the part
                  of any party in exercising any right, power, or privilege
                  hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof.

         13.      Binding Effect.
                  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
                  of the parties and their respective successors and permitted
                  assigns and legal representatives.


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         14.      Counterparts.
                  This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in
                  separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and
                  delivered shall be an original, but all such counterparts
                  shall together constitute one and the same agreement.

         15.      Headings.
                  The headings in this Agreement are for reference only, and
                  shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

         16.      Governing Law.
                  This Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall
                  be construed in accordance with and governed by the internal
                  laws of the State of Wisconsin.

         17.      Reformation and Severability.
                  If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be
                  invalid, unenforceable or illegal in any jurisdiction under
                  any circumstances for any reason, (i) such provision shall be
                  reformed to the minimum extent necessary to cause such
                  provision to be valid, enforceable and legal and preserve the
                  original intent of the parties, or (ii) if such provision
                  cannot be so reformed, such provision shall be severed from
                  this Agreement. Such holding shall not affect or impair the
                  validity, enforceability or legality of such provision in any
                  other jurisdiction or under any other circumstances. Neither
                  such holding nor such reformation or severance shall affect or
                  impair the legality, validity or enforceability of any other
                  provisions of this Agreement to the extent that such other
                  provision is not itself actually in conflict with any
                  applicable law.

IN WITNESS HEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed
as of the 2nd day of Feb, 2000.



/s/ Gerald E. Zitzer                       /s/ John S. Shiely
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Gerald E. Zitzer                           John S. Shiely
                                           President and Chief Operating Officer