STIHL SA celebrates 25 years

The evening was enjoyed by staff from STIHL South Africa, the global STIHL Group and STIHL dealers. From left to right: Norbert Pick (STIHL Group Executive Board member), Anil Hoolasi (Supply Chain Manager for STIHL SA), Ammerentia and Gert Venter from GP Lawnmowers, Rudi Kruger (National Sales Manager for STIHL SA) and Johannes Wetzel (STIHL Regional Sales Manager for Africa and Asia).

Representatives from STIHL SA and the global STIHL Group recently celebrated over 25 years of the brand’s presence in South Africa. STIHL SA was the group’s first sales and marketing subsidiary on the African continent, opened in November 1996 by Mr Hans Peter Stihl, a direct descendent of the group’s founder Andreas Stihl.

The 25th anniversary event was held at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg and was attended by STIHL SA staff, STIHL dealers, as well as STIHL international representatives, Norbert Pick (Executive Board Member for Sales and Marketing of the STIHL Group) and Johannes Wetzel (Regional Sales Manager for Africa and Asia). The 25th anniversary should have been held in 2021, but the July unrest and COVID restrictions necessitated the delay in celebrations.

STIHL develops, manufactures, and distributes outdoor power equipment for many industries including forestry, agriculture, landscaping and construction. Internationally, the STIHL Group's sales network consists of 42 sales and marketing companies, approximately 120 importers and more than 55,000 independent, authorised dealers in over 160 countries. STIHL has been the world's best-selling chainsaw brand since 1971.

Gateway into Africa
Commented Norbert Pick in his address at the 25th anniversary event: “South Africa is said to be the gateway into Africa and for STIHL this has been true. What we have learned in South Africa, we have been able to apply to other African markets. Just this week we officially opened our second STIHL sales subsidiary on the African continent, in Nairobi, Kenya. We have also recently opened a marketing office in Côte d'Ivoire. So, STIHL is on the move in Africa and looking forward to growing with our network of dealers throughout the continent,” he said.

STIHL Group Executive Board member Norbert Pick, Gaby Dunkley and Dave Hutton, former Managing director of STIHL South Africa

“Our subsidiary in South Africa is solidifying its position in Southern Africa. We will continue to invest in Africa and in the Southern African region. We came here to stay and to grow, no matter the challenges, which we have mastered and will continue to master in the future as well,” said Norbert.

History of STIHL in South Africa
STIHL’s presence in the South African market began with an importer, Dowson & Dobson in 1956. Then, in 1962 a representative from the STIHL factory in Germany came to South Africa to establish an official importer here. One of his calls was to Motor & General Supplies, where it was his unenviable task to try to persuade a conservative management team to take on the role of official STIHL importer in South Africa. On his return to Germany, he had to tell Andreas Stihl that a large South African company had ordered a grand total of five chainsaws!

These first five chainsaws were duly shipped to South Africa for Motor & General to introduce STIHL to the local market. Despite this slow entry, these models were soon to become household names in the South African timber industry and subsequently Motor & General began importing Stihl chainsaws by the container-load, some 620 units at a time.

In 1982, David Hutton took over the management of the STIHL division of Motor & General. On his retirement in 2011, his son, Hayden Hutton, took over the reins as managing director of STIHL SA.

One of the first STIHL chainsaws to be imported into South Africa.

Modern chainsaws are powerful, efficient and safe when handled the correct way.

A century of business
STIHL’s origins go all the way back to 1926 when Andreas Stihl founded an engineering office in Stuttgart. From there, in a quest to ease the demanding heavy labour of forestry work, he began the development of his first chainsaw. In 1927, Stihl launched this chainsaw, the electric trimming chainsaw with a 2.2kW electric motor weighing in at a hefty 48kg. He followed this with his first petrol chainsaw, the STIHL type A tree-felling machine in 1929. Andreas Stihl applied the principal of only supplying his products through specialist dealers who could provide expertise, guidance and excellent after-sales service, a corporate policy that exists to this day.

Back in the day it took two or three men to handle a chainsaw.

“STIHL is a multigenerational business, and many third-generation family members are active in the business today, including Dr Nikolas Stihl, chair of the advisory board and the supervisory board, positions which he took over from his father, Hans Peter Stihl, son of the founder, Andreas Stihl. We have a generational story at the South African subsidiary as well, because I was fortunate enough to take over the management of the subsidiary upon the retirement of my father,” said current STIHL SA MD Hayden Hutton.

“Whilst our 25th anniversary maybe the excuse to celebrate, it is not the only thing that we celebrate. It has taken tremendous effort from all of us to create what we all currently enjoy as part of the STIHL South African family. To all our dealers and to my staff, I would like to personally thank you for the contributions that you have made to the success of STIHL in South Africa. I am extremely excited about what the future holds. During the unrest last July, when our premises were destroyed and our stock looted, we stood together as a family. We relied on our strong relationships to maintain good cooperation internally and with you, our dealers. And from across the seas, the STIHL family, executive board, and staff in the headquarters and factories, all stood ready to lend a hand and to support us.”

STIHL South Africa Managing Director Hayden Hutton with STIHL Group Executive Board member Norbert Pick.

From left to right; STIHL Dealers Mirko and Loraine Gregorini (Lawnmowers and Turf Trading), Sonica and Ettienne Spamers (Homegrown Contractors) and Lucille and Bruce Mason (Berry’s Garden Machinery).

STIHL bounces back

Rajesh Bermal and Nomvelo Dube from Umgeni Lawnmowers busy unpacking fresh stock dispatched from STIHL HQ.

It’s a month since the unrest that saw the STIHL SA head office and its warehouse in Pietermaritzburg being totally destroyed, with the loss of 100% of the stock. Dealers in Durban, Greytown, Empangeni, Pinetown and Howick were also looted. However, plans were almost immediately set in place to get stock back into the country as quickly as possible, and the affected dealers ‘made a plan’ to get back up and running again. It’s been a tough few weeks but the good news is that STIHL has received delivery of over 90 tons of stock via airfreight, with more to come through within the next few days. STIHL had to integrate its systems with those of the new third party logistics partner, which required extensive testing. The first test orders were received by dealers last week and the company is gradually ramping up the dispatch of orders to its dealers.

This is positive news, after the stories of loss and destruction that some dealers have to tell…

John Bulteel of Modern Mowers in Springfield Park, Durban, a particularly hard-hit area, says the fact that they deal in larger, less portable products such as tractors, lawnmowers and golf cars in addition to more portable items meant that they didn’t lose everything in the violence and looting. He is also relieved that the premises were not burned. “They came through the main gate and roller shutter doors and we believe that they were busy for an extended period of time. We lost the portable stock and also two vehicles that were driven straight through the roller doors.”

The shop was closed for the entire week of the unrest but cleaning up began the following Monday and the shop was operational the next day. It took time to replace the smashed glass, the rammed access gates, roller doors and damaged computers, as well as restocking, so Monday 2 August was the first truly ‘back-to-normal’ day.

Craig Bishop of National Power & Plant in Pinetown, a STIHL exclusive dealer, had put almost 80% of his stock out on the floor on the Friday before the unrest broke out to shoot a promotional video. “We lost 45 STIHL machines: backpack blowers, brush cutters, chainsaws,” he says. “Luckily they were not able to get into the storage area - they were probably disturbed.”

Craig and his team were back at work the Monday after the unrest, and despite the devastating losses and damage, they were kept busy rebuilding second-hand machines from scrapped stock. “Our workshop was busier than ever, especially after I posted a video on Facebook, and luckily we could still do servicing. We also still had items such as oils etc to sell, and had stock of STIHL FS 160 and FS 280 models, which are our bread and butter lines.”

Craig is upbeat despite the situation. “We have been dedicated STIHL exclusive dealers since 1996 and remain firm STIHL supporters. I’m extremely impressed at how quickly STIHL has been able to put a solution together and it has given us the confidence to remain exclusive dealers and not panic and look for alternative brands.”

Chris Odell of Midlands Power Equipment in Howick, a small town badly hit by the unrest, was also spared a 100% loss of stock as the looters did not gain access to his storeroom.

There was a similar situation at Haig’s Mower and Chainsaw Centre in Empangeni, where Len Liversage says he feels fortunate that the looters were not able - despite two attempts - to get to where most of the stock was kept. “They took everything that was displayed - it was terrible to watch women and young girls acting like crazed animals. Our chap from armed response stopped them eventually after they’d gained access by ripping out a window and its frame (the burglar bars were riveted inside) and smashed the exterior security camera. He calmed them down and asked them to leave, saying there was nothing left to steal. They did try again later, breaking into another section of the dealership, but again did not manage to get to the storeroom. They also left the office and the computers alone.” The store has been open for 50 years, Len has been there for 48, and the building will need extensive repairs. But Len is determined to bounce back.

Looters caught on the security camera while busy cleaning out Haig’s Mower and Chainsaw Centre at the height of the recent unrest in KZN.

Umgeni Lawnmowers in Springfield Park was not so lucky. According to owner Dirk Illing, “There was not a room they didn’t get into. What they didn’t take they destroyed. Even the lever arch files were stamped on and broken.”

On Monday 12 July, Dirk was contacted by Marshall Security to inform him that the business was being looted. Despite being advised to stay away from a ‘dangerously volatile’ situation, he drove first to the security company headquarters and then to the Durban North police station before heading home. He was finally able to visit his dealership on the afternoon of 14 July.

“The Massey Fergusson tractor parked outside our front roller door had been tampered with but clearly the looters were not able to start it. The roller shutter door had been prised open and was raised by 500mm. I crawled under it and was confronted with mayhem,” he says. “The entire stock of power products was gone. There was not a single unit left. No Stihl brush cutters, no Stihl chainsaws, no lawnmowers, no generators, no water pumps, no Stihl mist-blowers - nothing in the form of a power product. The lower workshop was also mayhem, with a few jobs in transit still there. All our tools were missing including the workshop compressor, drill press, stand-by generator, bench grinder, ride-on hoist.” It looked as if a forklift fork had been used to remove the extremely stout workshop window burglar bars.
The work computers were all gone, along with the till and printer. The office safe had been opened and R16 000 was missing. Dirk estimates that about 50 % of the spares stock and all the power tools were taken from the main storeroom. The room adjacent to this is where special tools are kept - “nothing was left except leg guards”. In the brush cutter repair workshop, almost all of the customer units were missing, as well as all the work spanners and power tools. Even machines in for repairs were taken.

Empty shelves: Umgeni Lawnmowers in Durban was just one of several STIHL dealerships that was broken into and looted during the recent spate of unrest that swept across KwaZulu-Natal in July.

The looters had also stripped the kitchen area, taking everything, even the tap and mixer! The gents’ toilet was pulled away from the wall and smashed; the lower workshop was used as a toilet and left in a filthy state.

Despite the devastation, Dirk refuses to throw in the towel. “We’re not running from this. We are reasonably well insured and we will forge ahead. I have been buoyed up by my customers, who have come in to the shop to personally give us promises of support.”

Hayden Hutton, managing director of Andreas STIHL (Pty) Ltd says, “Whilst poor South Africans remain the biggest victims of the recent unrest, STIHL and its dealers also suffered significant losses. The STIHL warehouse in Pietermaritzburg was looted and then burnt to the ground, resulting in an interrupted supply of our products that support customers in the forestry, landscaping, and municipal markets, which include many emerging contractors and businesses. But it’s the individual stories of loss and of staff being afraid of losing their jobs that were so distressing. These are people who are as passionate about our brand as we are, and we could not let them down.”

With support from STIHL head office in Germany, the company quickly put into effect an emergency plan to get spares and products to the country from STIHL factories around the world. STIHL head office staff members moved to new premises and STIHL secured a short term warehousing and distribution solution in anticipation of receiving the tons of airfreight as well as containers via sea.

STIHL SA’s warehouse in Pietermaritzburg was looted and then burned to the ground in the civil unrest that swept through KZN and Gauteng in July. But if the looters thought they were putting them out of business they were wrong … STIHL SA staff relocated to new premises and were back in business within days, arranging for the delivery of fresh stock from STIHL factories around the world for some of their dealers who were also looted and cleaned out in the unrest. STIHL – 1, Looters – 0.

Don’t buy stolen goods
STIHL is appealing to those who see STIHL products advertised online, especially at suspiciously low prices, to be careful of buying stolen property and to check the product serial number at www.stihl-stolen.com to see if products are stolen or are legitimately owned. Always ask for proof of ownership such as a receipt or warranty before buying second-hand goods is the advice.

“The devastation during the unrest is really heartbreaking,” said Hayden. “It is clear that South Africa needs a social compact, to ensure that this never happens again. This means not only ensuring economic opportunity for the poor, but it’s also apparent that we need a moral regeneration, especially when considering the instances of ‘wealthy’ South Africans who took part in the looting. It is heartening to see that many culprits were ‘named and shamed’ via social media, some have already appeared in court, and in some places, stolen goods have been handed in to the police by the community. The country’s commercial sector can rebuild these businesses, but they can only survive and thrive if the government and society work together.”

STIHL pledges support for subsidiary in South Africa

STIHL’s premises in Pietermaritzburg looted during the recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.

Safety of staff is the company’s top priority as STIHL pledges to rebuild buildings damaged by looters during the recent unrest in South Africa, retain staff and support dealers ...

“For us as a family-owned company, the protection and safety of our employees is our top priority” says Dr Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the STIHL Advisory Board and Supervisory Board. “We are shocked and appalled by the images coming out of South Africa. Parts of the country have been affected by severe rioting, violence and looting. The region in and around Durban has also been affected – as has our South African subsidiary ANDREAS STIHL Ltd. in Pietermaritzburg. We are pleased that all of the employees and their families are unharmed.”

The STIHL SA warehouse in Pietermaritzburg has been completely destroyed and its office building severely damaged as a result of the unrest and looting. STIHL headquarters in Germany has set up a crisis team to organise measures for the protection and well-being of the subsidiary’s roughly 40 employees in cooperation with Hayden Hutton, the Managing Director of STIHL South Africa.

STIHL’s Pietermaritzburg warehouse destroyed.

Commitment to South Africa reaffirmed: STIHL guarantees jobs and supports dealers
“Our subsidiary in South Africa will continue to exist going forward. No employees will lose their jobs due to this unusual situation. On the contrary, we will rebuild STIHL South Africa. To do so, we need the expertise and dedication of our staff. We will make sure that our customers can continue to buy and use STIHL products in the future,” said Dr Stihl.

The STIHL subsidiary in South Africa supplies local dealers with products. The company has also pledged to help dealers. Right now, it is working on ways to supply dealers with its products in the short to medium term. Containers are being shipped to the country, with plans in place to also send equipment to South Africa by air.

The STIHL Group develops, manufactures, and distributes outdoor power equipment for forestry, agriculture, landscaping and construction sectors.