Andreas Epple has been named Managing Director of STIHL Vertriebszentrale AG & Co. KG, the STIHL Group's German distribution center (Dieburg, Germany), starting January 1, 2023. He succeeds Heribert Benteler, who will retire at the end of 2022. Epple has been at STIHL in Dieburg for 10 years, where he is currently in charge of Marketing and Sales. Norbert Pick, STIHL Executive Board Member, Marketing and Sales, says: "Mr. Epple is an expert from within the company, whom we are pleased to see take over as Managing Director. His experience and knowledge of the German market make him the ideal person to continue the successful path of STIHL Germany and further drive the development of strategically important fields such as e-commerce, digital transformation, and expanding the authorized dealer network."
Andreas Epple was born in Stuttgart in 1968. He is married and has three children. After completing his apprenticeship and earning his certification as a master craftsman for gas and plumbing installation and maintenance, he worked for Mütschele GmbH and Vaillant Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. His most recent position at Vaillant put him in charge of B2B sales and marketing for the Vaillant brand in Germany and gave him responsibility for the financial management of the sales division. In 2012, he joined the STIHL distribution center in Dieburg. As Head of Marketing and Sales, Epple has since been in charge of field sales, in-house service, marketing, customer management, product management, and target group support. "I would like to thank the Executive Board and the Stihl family for the trust they have placed in me," Epple says. "I look forward to the upcoming challenge of continuing to build on the strong market position of STIHL in Germany and actively shaping the digital transformation in partnership with the entire team in my role as Managing Director of STIHL Vertriebszentrale in Dieburg."
Heribert Benteler has been the Managing Director of STIHL Vertriebszentrale in Dieburg since 2012. He joined the company in 1992 as the Head of Sales for VIKING (today known as STIHL Tirol) and Regional Sales Manager, West. Four years later, he was promoted to Head of Sales for Germany and Director of Marketing and Sales. "In terms of revenue, STIHL Germany is our largest sales subsidiary in Europe," says Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Supervisory Board of the STIHL Group. "Mr. Benteler has played an instrumental role in this success. Under his leadership, the German distribution center's revenue has doubled and stood at 471 million euros in 2021." Norbert Pick, Chairman of the STIHL Executive Board, adds: "Heribert Benteler has successfully expanded the battery-powered product business in the German market. Today, battery-powered products account for more than half the sales in Germany - a stand-out at our Group." Benteler, who has long been involved in business and commerce associations in addition to his work for the company, says: "Taking on responsibility in a variety of functions at STIHL has been an honor and inspiration for me. I'm particularly proud of the outstanding team spirit of everyone who has worked at the STIHL distribution center over the years, especially in these complicated past three years. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you."
The German distribution center's facilities have expanded to keep up with its business growth. The new logistics building and finished goods warehouse opened in July 2021, further enhancing the Dieburg location's logistics capabilities and capacity to deliver. Today, STIHL employs a staff of more than 320 people in Dieburg.