Through 2025, Stihl will have invested more than $60 million towards battery manufacturing. This includes 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 the units at its factory in Virginia Beach, Va.
The Stihl product range includes more than 80 battery-operated tools for consumers and professionals. Over the next two years, 30 new battery-operated products are scheduled to hit the market worldwide.
Stihl plans to increase its share of sales from battery-operated products to at least 35 percent by 2027, with a target of 80 percent by 2035. In 2023, the Stihl Group’s U.S. operations converted 84,000 ft. sq. of warehouse space to battery tool manufacturing.
“In producing our battery products here in the U.S., we prioritize excellence, leveraging our vertically integrated manufacturing processes to ensure the highest quality standards,” said Stihl President and CEO Chris Keffer.
Battery units accounted for 16 percent of all Stihl units in 2023, compared to just one battery-powered model, the BGA 56 blower, assembled in the U.S. five years ago.
What started as one assembly line with under 10 employees grew to over 100 employees dedicated to battery products and battery pack manufacturing. Battery unit production capacity at Stihl increased over 150 percent year-over-year by the end of 2023. Another increase is expected by the end of 2024.
Since its inception in 1974, Stihl’s campus has evolved from a 20,000-square-foot rented warehouse to over 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing and administrative space on more than 150 acres. In Virginia Beach, operations expanded by nearly 50 percent, resulting in over 1,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2020.
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