More than 84K square feet is dedicated to battery manufacturing in America
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Aug. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The conversion to battery-powered tools continues to be the leading trend in the outdoor power equipment industry and the fastest-growing market segment, and STIHL is at the forefront of this battery transformation. Through 2025, STIHL Inc. will have invested over $60 million towards battery manufacturing, including the production of battery-powered blowers, pruners, trimmers, and multi-attachment tools, as well as the assembly of over five different battery packs to power those units at its state-of-the-art factory in Virginia Beach, Va.
The expansion of the STIHL battery-operated product and service portfolio is in full swing. The STIHL product range includes more than 80 battery-operated tools for consumers and professionals; almost every fourth STIHL product sold is battery-operated. Thirty new battery-operated products are scheduled to hit the market worldwide over the next two years alone. STIHL aims to increase the share of sales from battery-operated products to at least 35 percent by 2027, with a target of 80 percent by 2035. In support of that goal, STIHL Inc., the U.S. operations for the STIHL Group, converted 84K square feet of warehouse space to battery tool manufacturing in 2023.
“In producing our battery products here in the United States, we prioritize excellence, leveraging our vertically integrated manufacturing processes to ensure the highest quality standards,” said STIHL Inc. President and CEO Chris Keffer.
In 2023, battery unit production accounted for 16 percent of all units produced at STIHL Inc., compared to five years ago when just one battery-powered model, the BGA 56 blower, was assembled in the U.S. What started as one assembly line with less than ten employees grew to over 100 employees dedicated to battery products and battery pack manufacturing. By the end of 2023, battery unit production capacity at STIHL Inc. increased by more than 150 percent year-over-year. A significant increase is expected again by the end of 2024.
Since its inception in 1974, the STIHL Inc. campus evolved from a single 20,000-square-foot rented warehouse to well over 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing and administrative space on more than 150 acres. In Virginia Beach, as a result of record sales over several years, operations expanded by nearly 50 percent, resulting in over 1,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2020.
About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the number one selling brand of battery-powered handheld outdoor power equipment among landscape and tree care professionals in America1, the number one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America,2 the number one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment among U.S. landscape professionals in America,3 and the number one selling brand of chain saws in the world. STIHL also offers a full line of battery powered handheld outdoor power equipment for the professional and consumer. STIHL products are sold through a network of more than 10,000 authorized local STIHL Dealers from coast to coast—not big-box stores. Located in Virginia Beach, Va., STIHL Inc., the U.S. affiliate of the global STIHL Group, exports to more than 80 countries around the world, and the majority of STIHL products sold in America are made in America.4 STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL Dealers are for distribution in the U.S. only. For more information or for the name of a local STIHL Dealer, call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit STIHLusa.com.
1“Number one selling brand” is based on 2007-2023 syndicated and commissioned surveys and 2023 surveys conducted by Irwin Broh Research of the U.S. professional landscaper and tree care markets. 2“Number one selling brand” is based on syndicated and commissioned surveys conducted by Irwin Broh Research among U.S. professional landscapers, as well as independent consumer research of 2009-2022 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers. 3“Number one selling brand” is based on 2007-2022 syndicated and commissioned surveys conducted by Irwin Broh Research of the U.S. professional landscaper market. 4A majority of STIHL products sold in America are made in America of U.S. and global materials.
STIHL Inc. is pleased to support the work of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), the National Association of Landscape Professionals, America’s State Parks, the American Green Zone Alliance and the North American Hardware and Paint Association.
For information on job opportunities with STIHL Inc., please go to www.stihlcareers.com. STIHL is an EEO and drug-free work environment.
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SOURCE STIHL Inc.
