STIHL Produces 50 Millionth Powerhead Unit

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

STIHL Inc., the headquarters for U.S. operations for the worldwide STIHL Group, announced that it has produced its 50 millionth powerhead unit at the company’s Virginia Beach, Va., manufacturing facility. Amid a backdrop of weak U.S. manufacturing performances and unpredictable slowdowns across the globe, the milestone exemplifies the success STIHL has enjoyed while pursuing a unique manufacturing and marketing strategy.

Over the years, STIHL has continued to evolve its manufacturing processes. The most recent expansion to the Virginia Beach facility, a 55,000-square-foot addition to the accessories plant, doubled the size of the company’s blow-molding operations.
 
The STIHL Built in America” success story recently caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which selected the company’s plant as the location to announce a $40 Million initiative to accelerate the trend of in-sourcing, and incentivize companies to bring jobs back to America and invest in American manufacturing.

STIHL began its U.S. operations in 1974 with 50 employees and a single model of chain saw. Since then, production has grown and the company now employs more than 2,000 people nationwide, with more than 1,800 in Virginia Beach, producing a full line of high-quality, handheld outdoor power equipment including blowers, trimmers, brushcutters and multi-task tools. In addition to serving the U.S. market, the company now exports to more than 90 countries.