STIHL power tools and their components are produced on four continents all over the world. Each production site contributes its own expertise to the assembly of power tools and the production of components for our worldwide production and sales network. No two plants are the same – well, that is not true in every aspect: Every production site meets STIHL’s high quality standards.

We sell 90 percent of our STIHL power tools outside our German headquarters – a clear testament to the international nature of our production network. When we build a new production site, we take many considerations into account. For example, production should take place as close to the market as possible, because that enables us to be quickly market-responsive, as well as shortening transport routes and reducing CO₂ emissions. That said, given that STIHL power tools are sold in 160 countries, having a local presence in every country is neither economical nor sensible. After all, production also needs to be as cost-effective as possible. We achieve this by bundling production of large volumes of components at specific sites, among other things.

Battery technology: Oradea in Romania. Saw chains: Wil and Bronschhofen in Switzerland. Carburetors: Huizhou in China and Santo Tomas in the Philippines. Power tool housings: Virginia Beach in the United States. Magnesium components: Weinsheim in Germany. Many of our STIHL production sites specialize in components that are then installed in the power tools subsequently – sometimes at different sites. How do we benefit from this specialization? It enables us to produce large quantities in a cost-effective manner and ensures that the most important components of STIHL power tools are coordinated with each other and meet our high quality standards.

Andreas Stihl was a pioneer of globalization. STIHL tools were already in demand outside Germany in the early 1930s. The company’s international production network took root in 1973 with a Brazil site; STIHL went on to set up further production sites in Brazil, Switzerland and the USA shortly afterwards. Today, STIHL also operates plants in Austria, China, Romania and the Philippines. Our production plants have gradually expanded in line with increasing demand and the expansion of our product portfolio. The battery pack production at our headquarters in Waiblingen is one of the most recent additions to our production network, and marks another step towards greater vertical integration in this future-oriented technology at the German site.