Stihl Inc., the U.S. manufacturing and distribution company for the worldwide Stihl group, celebrated the grand opening of its latest addition to the Virginia Beach manufacturing campus. Completed in May after only five months of construction, the expansion is part of Stihl’s continued investment in vertical integration. The company attributes the success of this project to the close collaboration with its development partners including the City of Virginia Beach.
Dr. Bertram Kandziora, Stihl executive board chairman, was present to dedicate the facility and recognize the continued growth and success at Stihl. “While many U.S. companies have chosen to move their operations overseas in pursuit of cheap labor, we have chosen instead to reinvest in our technology, our workforce and our infrastructure here in Virginia Beach,” said Dr. Kandziora. “Simply put, we will continue to design, engineer and build the best outdoor power equipment possible for Stihl servicing dealers and Stihl customers worldwide.”
Plant Highlights. The new plant adds more than 55,000 square feet, and doubles the capacity of the company’s blow-molding operation. The expansion also houses the company’s new 3,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art data center which Stihl says is the first of its kind in the world to use computer door coil cooling units in conjunction with geothermal cooling.
Stihl Inc. vice president of operations for manufacturing Christian Koestler said the accessories plant expansion is significant because it represents the evolution the company has undergone through the years expanding from a simple assembly operation in 1974, to an industry-leading, vertically integrated manufacturing company. “Unlike many other companies, we have not increased the outsourcing of component manufacturing. Instead, we have taken additional processes in-house to maximize quality, while minimizing material cost increases and achieving delivery efficiencies that make our operation competitive with any in the world.”
