Weinsheim, July 10, 2022 | Company press release
STIHL Magnesium Die Casting celebrates 50th anniversary
A success story since 1971: STIHL Magnesium Die Casting belatedly celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 9, 2022, with a summer festival for the company’s approximately 950 employees. Employees with their families and friends enjoyed a range of entertainment for all ages, from a music program to arts and crafts, a circus inviting audience participation, and acrobatic performances. The celebrations had been scheduled for 2021, but were postponed for a year due to the pandemic.
Initially opened as a small plant with 70 employees, the STIHL site in Weinsheim, Germany, now measures around 35,500 square meters and produces high-quality magnesium components – not solely for the company’s own professional chainsaws and power tools, but also for the automotive, motorcycle, e-bike, and electrical industries, as well as the medical technology sector. External customers now account for some 30 percent of revenue. Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the STIHL Supervisory Board and Advisory Board, thanked the staff for what the company had achieved and for their hard work and dedication: “All of you represent the successful development of our plant over the past five decades – current staff and all our former employees alike. Your expertise, inventiveness, and ingenuity paired with a high level of commitment have always been the factors which guarantee our lasting success. You are right to be proud of what we have achieved.”
A bold decision as the foundation for success
To ensure the quality and availability of die cast magnesium parts and to not be dependent on suppliers, STIHL decided back in 1970 to build its own magnesium die casting plant. Hartmut Fischer, Managing Director of the STIHL plant in Weinsheim, emphasizes: “It was a bold decision to make back then, but it quickly paid off. With our high degree of vertical integration and exacting quality standards for production and products, as well as the long service life that STIHL is known for, we have made the plant into one of the leading magnesium die casting plants in Europe, if not the world. We are proud of that.” And STIHL Magnesium Die Casting, also known internally as Plant 4, is well-positioned for the future as well. Dr. Nikolas Stihl underscored this, saying: “We’re well-positioned, so future challenges don’t worry us – quite the opposite. The biggest single investment we have made was in the recently commissioned production logistics unit, which demonstrates our confidence. Our Plant 4, which has been superbly run by Hartmut Fischer and his management team for the past seven years, will continue to make a significant contribution to the success of the STIHL Group now and into the future.”
Minister for Economic Affairs and District Administrator offer congratulations on the anniversary
Political figures were also on hand with best wishes during the festivities. Rhineland-Palatinate Minister for Economic Affairs, Daniela Schmitt, emphasized: “Fifty years of STIHL Magnesium Die Casting ‘made in Weinsheim’ – STIHL has succeeded in developing its production processes through classic engineering expertise and a future-facing thirst for innovation. Together with its employees, the company is tackling the big future challenges which the energy-intensive metal industry faces. The innovative new production facility for e-bike components is a prime example of how the plant is adapting to change and evolving its business model to remain competitive in the long run.” Andreas Kruppert, District Administrator for the Eifel district of Bitburg-Prüm, added: “As one of the largest employers and a flagship company in our region, STIHL makes an important contribution to employment and prosperity in the Eifel district of Bitburg-Prüm. I’d like to thank everyone responsible for their entrepreneurial commitment and dedication and for their ongoing investment in Weinsheim as a place to do business.”
