The STIHL Group is to expand its international manufacturing network by investing around 125 million euros in the coming years in a new production site for electric and battery-operated products in Oradea, Romania. This will enable the family-owned company not only to increase its production capacities, but also to strengthen the flexibility and resilience of its supply chains.

“Battery-powered products represent the fastest-growing market for STIHL at the present time,” says Martin Schwarz, STIHL Executive Board Member for Manufacturing and Materials. “We expect demand for these products to continue rising faster than any other category in the years ahead. This means that our Tirol plant, which currently manufactures a large portion of our battery-powered range, will one day reach the limits of its space and capacities. The new location in Romania will add to our global manufacturing network and keep us in the best possible position to continue supplying our customers with battery-operated products in the future.”

The newly formed production company ANDREAS STIHL Power Tools S.R.L., which is set to begin operating in Oradea in mid-2024, will create some 500 new jobs for the STIHL Group in the long term.

The new plant will be built in Oradea’s Eurobusiness I Industrial Park and comprises approximately 147,000 square meters. The contract was signed on June 28, 2022 by STIHL, the City of Oradea, and the Romanian marketing company ADLO Sa., which manages the industrial park on behalf of the city.

“STIHL generates a large share of its battery-operated power tool sales in Europe,” says STIHL Executive Board Member Martin Schwarz. “The city’s outstanding links to our key markets, its highly advanced infrastructure, and the strong economic environment were all compelling reasons to choose Oradea.”