Record-breaking 2021:
STIHL generates over 5 billion euros in revenue

• New records across four areas: revenue, sales, production, and headcount
• STIHL strengthens international production alliance
• Countless new products in the battery-operated and gasoline segment for professionals and home users

The STIHL Group achieved record-breaking revenue of 5.06 billion euros in fiscal year 2021, equating to a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent. Excluding currency effects, revenue would have increased by 12.3 percent. The Group, whose headquarters are located in Waiblingen, Germany, generated 90 percent of its sales revenue abroad. "We exceeded our own expectations in 2021," said Michael Traub, the Chairman of the Executive Board of STIHL, at the press conference presenting the company's annual results on April 26, 2022. "Not only did we achieve new records in terms of sales and production, we also exceeded the 5-billion-euro mark in revenue for the first time in our 96-year history, despite enormously challenging circumstances." Even though global disruption to supply chains and severe shortages in materials, capacity, and personnel significantly impacted the market supply situation, STIHL was still able to keep its production running at full speed thanks to proactive planning, allowing it to continue providing its customers with STIHL products in the best possible way. "The new records we achieved in revenue, sales, and production in 2021 are a testament to the outstanding performance by the entire STIHL team and the huge amount of dedication and flexibility shown by our workforce," Traub added. "They have made the impossible possible." The Group's headcount is also at a record level. As of Dec. 31, 2021, the STIHL Group had 20,094 employees worldwide, which equates to growth of 10.4 percent compared to the prior year.

Growth across all markets - gardening products in particularly high demand
The gardening and DIY trend - with customers aiming to create a feeling of well-being at home and purchasing high-end gardening products - continued in 2021. Many customers, particularly in Western Europe and North America, have been exploring entirely new approaches to beautifying their green spaces. As a result, demand for high-quality and user-friendly products that further increase the feel-good factor in people's homes and gardens was particularly strong. Countless product innovations and favorable weather conditions bolstered sales elsewhere in the world too. Online sales also saw significant growth. Demand for consumer and professional products increased across all regions. The trend toward battery-operated tools continued overall in the past year, particularly in the consumer goods segment in western industrialized countries. However, demand among professional users for high-performance battery-operated tools also increased. Demand for STIHL's gasoline-powered products remained brisk as well, with sales also increasing year on year in this segment. "These figures clearly show that our customers continue to regard both segments as relevant and important," Traub said. "That's why we will continue to invest a great deal in the forward-looking battery-operated segment without compromising on our gasoline-powered tool business."

In many markets, STIHL would have been able to sell more tools under better global supply chain conditions. Production at all locations around the world was at full pace to match strong global demand. Traub: "We are doing everything in our power to ensure that our customers continue to be supplied with our products. However, it is simply not possible to reliably predict product availability in light of current events. Problems caused by existing supply chain tension will only be exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine."

STIHL makes significant investments in production alliance, manufactures record quantities
The STIHL Group invested a total of 331 million euros in 2021, 16.9 percent more than in the prior year. Of this amount, 91.8 percent was attributable to international production companies. "The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have once again shown how important flexible and resilient production and logistics chains are," Traub said. "In 2021, we made unscheduled investments of several hundred million euros in our global production sites for the procurement of additional machinery and systems to make the international STIHL production alliance even more responsive moving forward and to meet persistently high global demand for products." The largest investments were in cylinder production in Brazil, three-part bar production in the U.S., chain production in Switzerland, and the production of crankshafts and plastic in Germany. Production operated 24 hours a day at many of the Group's locations.

• The STIHL founding company in Germany recorded its second-highest annual production volume since it was established in 1926.
• STIHL Inc., in Virginia Beach, USA, raised its powerhead production by 19 percent compared to the prior year. By stepping up employee training, the location was able to increase its flexibility in order to respond quickly to changes in the supply chain and in sales.
• STIHL China celebrated its 25 millionth product at the Qingdao location since its foundation in 2006. Thanks to measures to enhance efficiency, the Chinese production location was able to boost its output by almost 50 percent compared to 2019.
• STIHL Brazil produced its 100 millionth cylinder in 2021. Since its foundation in 1996, the manufacturing location in São Leopoldo has expanded its production capacity by a considerable margin.
• The new plastic production facility is set to go online at STIHL Tirol in the summer of 2022, which will significantly increase vertical integration at this location. The STIHL Group manufactures the majority of its battery-operated products (including the STIHL MSA 300, the most powerful battery-powered chainsaw in the market) at STIHL Tirol.
• Production at the STIHL chain plant in Switzerland was increased by 20 percent in 2021, resulting in a new production record. The company has also invested considerably in the expansion of its machinery. A particular focus was placed on specialty machinery, which is developed and manufactured in-house and is used in a variety of manufacturing processes and chain assembly.
• ZAMA, a wholly owned STIHL Group subsidiary, expanded its parts range and has been manufacturing both membrane carburetors and cable harnesses since 2021. Cable harness production is an investment in the future, as they are required in gasoline-powered products and in all battery-operated tools, as well as in the iMOW robotic mower.

Revenue up in Germany despite supply tension
STIHL saw both sales and revenue increase in Germany in 2021. Demand among professional users from forestry, construction, horticulture, and landscaping was just as high as demand among private customers. The trend toward spending more time at home and investing in home and garden maintenance continued in this area. The STIHL online store also recorded an increase in business in Germany. In the past year, strong product demand was met by ongoing tension on supply markets, which intensified further in the first quarter of 2022 due to the geopolitical situation. As a result, STIHL authorized dealers and customers alike were forced to wait - in some cases for a significant amount of time - for ordered products.

STIHL founding company in Germany generates record revenue and shapes transformation
ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, the German founding company, continued to grow in 2021, generating record-breaking revenue of 1.59 billion euros. This figure equates to revenue growth of 15.2 percent compared to the prior year. The number of employees climbed by 9.2 percent year on year to 5,748 as of Dec. 31, 2021. Of this amount, 4,094 worked in Waiblingen, 427 in Fellbach, 254 in Ludwigsburg, 896 in Weinsheim, and 77 in Wiechs am Randen.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, STIHL took an important step in concluding an agreement to safeguard jobs and operations until 2025. The agreement guarantees continued employment at the founding company, financial support for advanced and further training and qualification, and an investment of 200 million euros in buildings and machinery. "STIHL is currently transforming itself from mechanical engineering company to a mechatronic and software specialist," Traub said. "The agreement to safeguard jobs and operations is a vital part of ensuring that we will be able to shape and realize change and innovation over the next few years." So that it can play an active role in shaping this transformation, STIHL continues to invest in IT infrastructure, concentrated at the founding company, as well as in research and development. The company is also focusing its attention on forward-looking business areas such as batteries, electronics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce. The STIHL founding company is currently looking to fill more than 200 positions, including jobs for experts in electrical engineering, robotics, software engineering, mechatronics, embedded systems, and information technology.

Countless new battery- and gasoline-powered products for private consumers and professionals
Traub was keen to point out that, at STIHL, the focus is on the customer: "This also applies to our product development, which we align systematically with the requirements of our customers. That is why I am so happy to see so many new products being launched since the start of 2022 that make it easier for people to work in and with nature." More production innovations are in the pipeline.

The STIHL AP battery power system for professionals, which already encompasses a dozen different applications and over 30 tools, is to be rolled out across multiple products.

• The STIHL MSA 300, launched in mid-March 2022, is currently the most powerful battery-operated chainsaw on the market. Its huge range of performance opens up a new dimension of chainsaw work in noise-sensitive environments. The range of applications extends from the selective felling, pruning, and cutting to length of medium-sized trees to building with wood. The equipment meets the high requirements of professionals in horticulture and landscaping, municipalities, and forestry alike. A brand-new battery pack, the STIHL AP 500 S, was developed to power the STIHL MSA 300. Thanks to its innovative power laminate technology, the new pack offers outstanding performance at a low weight, as well as double the number of possible charging cycles, which significantly increases battery life span compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. The energy capacity has also been increased further.
• The recently launched STIHL MSA 220 T is STIHL's flagship product in the battery-operated tree maintenance range. It is the ideal tool for professional tree maintenance work and has an electronic operating cockpit with an 180° LED display that makes it easy to operate the equipment in any position.
• Thanks to the battery-operated STIHL RGA 140 rotary cutting head, which has been on the market since March 2022, professionals at municipalities and in road maintenance, horticulture, landscaping, and janitorial services now have a new solution for the low-spin removal of weeds and grass.
• STIHL's first backpack battery-operated blower - the STIHL BGA 300 - is set to be launched in September 2022.

The STIHL AK battery system, which is designed for private users and semi-professionals, has been rolled out on another new tool in addition to the existing 12 it already powers. Thanks to its total length of 280 centimeters, the battery-operated STIHL HTA 50 pole pruner, which will be available starting in May 2022, can be used to perform maintenance on ornamental trees and orchard trees from the safety of the ground. It comes standard with the same STIHL 1/4" PM3 saw chain that is fitted to STIHL's professional pole pruners. Together with the high-performance, quite engine, the tool enables swift progress with a clean cutting pattern. Depending on the type of wood, branches with a diameter of up to 25 centimeters can be cut with precision.

A new product has been added to the STIHL AS battery system range alongside the two existing best-sellers - the STIHL GTA 26 garden pruner and the STIHL HSA 26 shrub shears - in the shape of the new STIHL SEA 20 battery-operated hand vacuum. This handy new tool is one of the most high-performance hand vacuums in the 10.8 volt category and is perfect for cleaning small areas thanks to its impressive suction power and extensive range of standard features.

The gasoline-powered segment is also set to be expanded:

• Four new tools - the STIHL FS 361 C-EM, FS 411 C-EM, FS 461 C-EM, and FS 491 C-EM - are set to join the professional gasoline-powered clearing saw range. The new products area ideal for mowing and stripping work in forest and landscape maintenance, as well as for use by municipal authorities and road maintenance services. An extended line mowing diameter of up to 520 millimeters makes it possible to complete mowing jobs swiftly and deploy resources efficiently.
• The STIHL MS 162 gasoline-powered chainsaw is set to be launched in July 2022. This entry-level chainsaw is lightweight and simple to use while offering excellent value for money. It features a STIHL 2-MIX engine with 1.2 kW of power and is the perfect tool for preparing firewood for burning, tackling construction projects using wood, and felling and pruning smaller trees in gardens.
• Long awaited by forestry professionals, the new STIHL Hexa system has been available since February 2022 as an addition to gasoline-powered chainsaws in the mid-performance segment. STIHL's innovative 3/8" Rapid Hexa saw chain, with new tooth shape and narrower kerf, outstrips the cutting performance of the STIHL 3/8" Rapid Super by up to 10 percent. What is more, the brand-new six-sided Hexa sharpening file specially designed for the new saw chain makes for faster chain sharpening at the ideal sharpening angle. The Hexa system, a patent-pending global innovation, once again cements STIHL's position as a technology leader in the industry.
• The STIHL HT 135 pole pruner, with a STIHL 4-MIX engine, is the highest-performing tool in this product group in the STIHL range. It has been designed for professionals in tree maintenance, orchard management, and municipal services for pruning trees, removing deadwood and storm-damaged wood, and cutting orchard trees.
• The tried-and-tested STIHL MotoMix special fuel for all STIHL 2-stroke engines will soon be available in its new and updated formulation. The new STIHL MotoMix ECO contains 10 percent renewable raw materials, reducing its carbon emissions by at least 8 percent compared to the conventional MotoMix. STIHL MotoMix ECO does not contain any ethanol and only minimal amounts of alkenes and aromatics. The canister for the special fuel is made of at least 50 percent recycled materials.

The STIHL cleaning range has been expanded with the STIHL RE 80 X, RE 80, and RE 90 high-pressure cleaners. These entry-level tools are perfect for cleaning jobs at home or in gardens. All three feature high-quality technology while still offering excellent value for money. The RE 80 X features a carry handle and does not have a wheel kit. The RE 80 and the RE 90 both come with integrated wheel kits. In addition, the RE 90 is also equipped with cable and hose holders, as well as a park position for switching off the high-pressure lance during breaks. The STIHL RE 140 PLUS high-pressure cleaner is also new. Featuring a brushless induction motor and high-quality aluminum pump, it is STIHL's most powerful high-pressure cleaner in the compact class. It comes with a number of impressive standard features, making the tool simple and comfortable to use.

STIHL brand store makes people want to get outdoors
The new STIHL COLLECTION is now available in the brand store, right on time for the start of the 2022 outdoor season. Relaxed fits, functional design, and earthy, natural colors - such as cotton jackets inspired by the workwear trend or cool T-shirts for young and old alike - are the hallmarks of the new collection. A new toy chainsaw with the look and feel of the innovative STIHL MS 500i playfully reproduces all the functions of the grown-up one, from the movable, replaceable chain and LED operating display to the new bar design, giving people of all ages something to look forward to.

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® 2022 season: the spectators are back
After being dominated by the pandemic in 2020, and with 2021 only seeing a return to partial normality, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® calendar is back to full strength for 2022. Spectators are set to return to the individual and team competitions that form the highlights of the 2022 timber sports season. The World Trophy will kick off the international season on May 28, 2022, at the Rathausplatz in the heart of Vienna, Austria, with the rookie world championship taking place one day before. The final event of the season will be held on Oct. 28 and 29, 2022, in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a team world championship featuring over 100 athletes scheduled to take place for the first time in two years. Other international competitions in 2022 include the European Trophy in France and the European Nations Cup in Switzerland.