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www.arborage.com Arbor Age / September 2014 23 1974 STIHL began manufacturing in the U.S. with the 015 chain saw. 1977 STIHL Inc. broke ground for Manufac- turing Plant I and Administrative Of¿ ces. 1980 Crankshaft, Heat Treating and Polymer departments added. 1982 In-house injection molding developed. 1985 STIHL Inc. launched the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS series on ABC/ESPN. 1989 Production expanded to include trim- mers, speci¿ cally FS 36, FS 40 and FS 44 models. 1992 Fred Whyte named president of STIHL Inc. 1993 Production of the 029, 039, and 009 MiniBoss chain saws; HS 72, 74 & 76 hedge trimmers and FC 72 edger. 1995 STIHL Inc. achieved globally recog- nized ISO 9001 registration for quality. 2000 STIHL Inc. awarded U.S. Senate Productivity Medallion of Excellence. STIHLUSA.com launched. 2002 U.S. Production of 4180 (4-MIX) series engine began. 2004 STIHL Inc. recognized with Governor's Environmental Excellence Award (Silver) and inaugural Virginia Shingo Prize by Virginia Manufacturers Association. 2007 Hans Peter Stihl, son of STIHL founder, Andreas Stihl, dedicated a 60,000-square-foot guide bar production plant, marking the ¿ rst time guide bars are manufactured in the U.S. 2009 STIHL Inc. started producing the majority of all STIHL powerheads world- wide. STIHL became the number one selling brand in America*. 2012 STIHL Inc. produced its 50 millionth powerhead. Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank selected STIHL Inc. as site to announce the Make it in America Challenge, a $40 million initiative to accelerate the trend of insourcing. 2013 STIHL Inc. receives Association for Manufacturing Excellence award. 2014 Celebrating 40 years built in America*. *A majority of STIHL powerheads are built in the United States from domestic and foreign parts and components. "Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin Broh Research, as well as independent consumer research of 2009-2013 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline- powered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers. Information provided by STIHL Inc. TIMELINE STIHL "Firsts" Include: • Automatic chain oiling • Centrifugal clutch • Chain braking system • Electronic ignition system • Single-lever Master Control Lever • Anti-vibration system • Quick Chain Adjuster (QCA) system • Side-access chain adjustment • ElastoStart system • Ematic System • World's quietest, gasoline-powered chain saw (at the time, 1996) • Auger brake • STIHL Easy2Start dual-spring starting mechanism • Dual chain braking system • Intelligent Engine Management (IEM) • STIHL M-Tronic • World's fi rst electronically controlled fuel-injection system on handheld outdoor power equipment *A majority of STIHL powerheads are built in the United States from domestic and foreign parts and components. Information provided by STIHL Inc. Fred Whyte, president of STIHL Inc. Hans Peter Stihl (right) dedicated the guide bar production plant in 2007. All photos provided by STIHL Inc.