Stihl – The Number One Selling Brand of Chainsaws

Stihl is a German manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld equipment, such as trimmers and blowers. Founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, they have become an important innovator in the chainsaw industry. As Andreas Stihl AG & Company is a privately held company owned by the descendants of Andreas Stihl, throughout the years, they have managed to build on the basis Andreas created, and transform the company into a market leader. The company has grown from a one-man business into a global manufacturer of outdoor power equipment.

With the experience they gained throughout the years, a steady expansion and development of their portfolio were sure to come. Thus, they are the world’s biggest-selling chainsaw brand since 1971.

History

1926: Founding of the firm by Andreas Stihl in Cannstatt near Stuttgart, Germany. Creation of the first powertrain powered by an electric motor for cutting the logs.
1929: The first powered petrol engine for two users is manufactured.
1931: The first company to export chainsaws to America and Russia.
1950: The world’s first chainsaw that can be operated by a single person was developed.
1959: The Motorcycle Market was revolutionized with the Stihl Contra, a gearless gasoline-powered chainsaw, which was easy and simple to handle.
1971: Sthil becomes the largest chainsaw manufacturer in the world with over 340,000 units produced per year.
1973: Setting up a production and sales company in Brazil is one of the first steps in establishing a worldwide production and sales network.
1988: The first catalytic converter for two-stroke engines was developed, reducing the level of burnt gases by 70-80%.
1992: They purchased 100% of the shares of ViKING, an Austrian manufacturer of garden equipment.
2001: The new VIKING Excellence Center in Kufstein, Austria, is open, and starts to provide design, production, sales, and marketing services to the highest standards.
2002: The 4-mix engine technology combined the advantages of two and four-stroke engines: fewer gas emissions, low weight, and high torque.
2003: The ErgoStart system brings added performance to the compact and small chainsaw motors, making it simpler to start them.
2004: VIKING has won prizes for the new GE150 and GE250 chassis models, which have a modern design and patented knife system.
2004: The anti-vibration system has been introduced to professional MS 341 and MS 361 chainsaw models.
2014: The STIHL TSA 230 is the world’s first battery-powered cut-off machine.

As they started off with a well-defined vision, now, after 80 years, the Stihl Group provides about 15,000 jobs, including 370 designers and engineers. The company provides dual training in Germany and at its international sites. They have more than 35,000 authorized distributors in more than 160 countries and, thanks to the superior quality of its products and services, the company has become the preferred choice of professionals and gardening enthusiasts around the world, due to the reflection of the motto of the company’s founder: “Every chainsaw is only as good as its service.”