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24 Arbor Age / July 2014 www.arborage.com Husqvarna shares its birth year with… Johann Sebastian Bach. One of the world's greatest com- posers remains a powerful force in classical music because of the quality of his work — which consists of over 1,000 elegant pieces of music — from concertos and cantatas to sonatas and orchestral suites. Like the Baroque works of the adored German musician, appreciated as much for his technical command as his artistry, Husqvarna too has en- dured for 325 years. But while Bach's compositions — of course — have not changed in that time, Husqvarna's output has evolved dramatically over 3-1/4 centuries. Today, Husqvarna is the world's largest producer of out- door power equipment. When our company started, on the banks of the Swedish river that gave us our name, "power equipment" did not exist. The company was founded to manufac- turer much-needed musket barrels for the army of King Charles XI as they prepared to ward off a threat from Denmark. In the years and decades and centuries that followed, Husqvarna has evolved both subtly and dramatically, keenly in tune with consumer demands, competitive op- portunities and economic realities. Read- ing the list of products that the company has manufactured and marketed could take nearly as long as Bach's Mass in B minor. Swords. Sewing machines. Wood-burning stoves. Motorcycles. Household products — from spittoons to cherry stone remov- ers and herring fryers. At one time, the company had such a strong presence within the household that famed artist Ewert Karlsson said that "Husqvarna" was the fi rst word he learned — since it was stamped onto the iron stove in his mother's kitchen, on the frame of his fi rst bicycle, and on the housing of the family sewing machine. A history of Husqvarna mirrors the history of Europe and, ultimately, the world. As technology has evolved, Husqvarna has been there, priding ourselves in our inventiveness, in- novative capacity and technical pro- fi ciency. Glancing through a book about Husqvarna produced in 1989 to commemorate our 300th anniversary yields fascinating facts and photos, like those of Husqvarna motorcycles shown racing to victory on the world's fastest courses. ANNIVERSARY SERIES SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SERIES SPECIAL 325 Years Later, Husqvarna in Tune with the Marketplace Husqvarna began on the banks of the Swedish river that gave the company its name. Husqvarna has prospered, evolved and grown due to its commitment to engineering excellence, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for developing innovative, high-quality solutions. B y A l a n S h a w , H u s q v a r n a All photos and graphics provided by Husqvarna