22 Arbor Age / September 2014 www.arborage.com
In 2014, STIHL Inc. is celebrating 40 years of manufac-
turing in the United States. Founded in 1974 by Andreas
Stihl AG & Co. KG, Waiblingen, Germany, STIHL Inc. began
with less than 50 people assembling one model of chain saw.
It has grown to 1,900 employees in Virginia Beach (with
200 more employees in branch locations) building more
than 70 different models and more than 275 model varia-
tions in the U.S.
STIHL Inc. manufactures gasoline-powered chain
saws, gasoline-powered grass and weed tr immers, leaf
blowers, hedge trimmers, edgers, extended-length hedge
trimmers, pole pruners, brushcutters, earth augers, wood-
boring drills, monofilament trimmer line, and chain saw
guide bars.
Located in Virginia Beach, Va., STIHL Inc., the headquar-
ters for U.S. operations for the worldwide STIHL Group, ex-
ports to more than 90 countries around the world; and the
majority of STIHL powerheads sold in America are also built
in America.*
The company, which originally operated out of only
20,000 square feet of rented space, now boasts more than 2.4
million square feet (under roof) of building space nationwide
(2 million of which is located in Virginia Beach). The com-
pany has 150 total acres of property in Virginia Beach (180
nationwide).
Distribution is exclusive to six independent U.S. distribu-
tors and six STIHL-owned marketing and distribution centers
that sell STIHL products to a nationwide network of 8,500
servicing retail dealers.
STIHL is the only gasoline-powered chain saw manufac-
turer in the world that designs and manufactures its own saw
chain (in Switzerland) and guide bars, with the newest guide
bar manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach. STIHL products
are protected by more than 1,000 patents.
ANNIVERSARY SERIES SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SERIES SPECIAL
STIHL Inc. Celebrates 40 Years of
Manufacturing in the United States
