Stihl

Andreas Stihl AG & Co.
Private Corporation
Industry Forestry equipment, Landscape maintenance
Founded 1926
Headquarters Waiblingen, Germany
Products Industrial Chainsaws, String trimmers, Cultivators, Cut off saws, Leaf blowers, Construction Tools, Edgers, Pole Pruners, Augers/Drills & Protective Apparel
Revenue €3.245 billion (2015)[1]
Number of employees
 14,245 (2015)
Website Stihl.com

Andreas Stihl AG & Company KG is a German manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers. Their headquarters are in Waiblingen, Baden-Württemberg near Stuttgart, Germany. Stihl was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, an important innovator in early chain saw production. Stihl claims to be the world's best-selling brand of chain saws, and the only chain saw manufacturer to make its own saw chains and guide bars.[2] Andreas Stihl AG is a privately held company owned by the descendants of Andreas Stihl.

Company history

Andreas Stihl designed and hand built the first chain saw in 1926. The saw was electric powered, and weighed in at about 64 kg. The Stihl name soon became popular, and also became synonymous with professional grade chain saws and would soon become the number one selling chain saw company in the world, a title that the company retains to this day. Stihl growth was slow initially, as the chainsaws hit the market about the same time as the Great Depression; with manpower cheap, and old two-man saws proven, there was no need for power saws. The early saws were very heavy, and often needed two men to operate them. Some outfits had a wheeled generator which had a power cord to run to the electric saw. Stihl saws were used by the Wehrmacht, particularly in Eastern Europe and Russia, where timber was cut for defensive positions.

After the war, the availability of cheap, strong aluminum, better designs, and more powerful engines meant that the Stihl saw came into its own.

Expansion

In the mid-1970s Stihl expanded the company by building manufacturing plants in Brazil and in the United States. Much of the increased demand came from the construction and landscaping markets. Along with the professional markets, Stihl designed a number of homeowner use equipment, like blowers, line trimmers, edgers, and chain saws. In 2008, the newest Stihl production facility is a plant located in Qingdao, China.[3] In December 2008, Stihl acquired the carburetor producer Zama to safeguard the supply and to enter a new business segment with growth potential.[4]

Stihl Incorporated

Incorporated in Delaware, Stihl Inc. is the US subsidiary of Stihl International GmbH and is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Construction of the facilities there began in 1974. Along with the manufacturing facilities, there are also warehouses and administration buildings at the 150 acre complex. Stihl International GmbH is a subsidiary of Andreas Stihl AG & Company KG.

Stihl gasoline-powered trimmers. Mid-1990s model FS74, left, and 2004 model FS80R, right. 
Stihl gasoline-powered chainsaws: MS 170 (foreground), MS 290 Farm Boss (background). 
Stihl MS 170 

References

  1. ↑ Stihl-Daten und Fakten (German)
  2. ↑ "STIHL Corporate Culture" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Shandong Provincial Government Delegation visited STIHL Qingdao". Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  4. ↑ STIHL AG & Co. KG. "Stihl press release". stihl.com.
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