Langkampfen, 26 August 2020

STIHL Tirol's Production Manager Josef Koller goes into retirement

After working for STIHL Tirol GmbH for 40 years, the long-standing production manager and authorised officer Josef Koller is leaving the company's team of staff and going into retirement on 31st August 2020.

"Josef Koller is an extremely valued colleague who stood out due to his tireless commitment to his work both within and outside of the company. In addition to the management of our production and construction activities, he also worked on social projects in Kufstein and the state of Tyrol. On behalf of the company, I would like to thank him for his work and wholeheartedly wish him all the best for the future", states Clemens Schaller, managing director of STIHL Tirol.

Koller joined the company as the production and purchasing manager at the start of the 1980s. In his early days at STIHL Tirol, he was also involved in design work, procurement, tool negotiations and dealer training. He even helped out as a forklift driver when the company was short-staffed. At the time, the garden shredder was the first product to be launched by the Tyrolean garden equipment manufacturer. The company has continued to experience strong growth ever since. Nowadays, STIHL Tirol manufactures a wide range of gardening products and employs more than 700 members of staff. As the production manager and project manager for construction, Josef Koller played a major role in this successful development and helped shape all the company's important milestones. Examples of such successes include the acquisition of the company by the STIHL Group in 1992, the relocation from Kufstein to the site in Langkampfen in 2001, the decision to define Tyrol as the manufacturing location for STIHL battery-powered appliances in 2009 and the three site extension phases.

STIHL Tirol will also fondly remember Josef Koller for his dedication both within and outside of the company. In fact, "work together to make a difference together" was one of the 65-year-old's mottos. Social and societal issues such as the integration of people with disabilities into the world of employment and the training of young people were also matters close to his heart at all times. Josef Koller was even awarded the Cross of Merit of the Austrian Federal State of Tyrol for his outstanding efforts for the local economy.

The successor for production management at the garden equipment manufacturer and cordless tool specialist has already been appointed: from 1st September 2020, this role will be taken over by Richard Felix, who has been working for the company since the start of the year.

Information about STIHL Tirol:
STIHL Tirol GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the STIHL Group and is based in Langkampfen, Austria. Cordless products are produced at this site and STIHL Tirol is also a centre of excellence for ground-based gardening tools, which are produced and co-developed in Langkampfen. In 2019, the company employed 639 people.

STIHL company profile:
The STIHL Group develops, manufactures and distributes motorised equipment for forestry, agriculture, landscape management, the building industry and private garden owners. The product range is supplemented with digital solutions and services. Products are generally distributed through specialist dealers – including 41 sales and marketing STIHL subsidiaries, around 120 importers and more than 53,000 specialist dealers in over 160 countries. STIHL manufactures products in seven countries worldwide: Germany, USA, Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, China and the Philippines. STIHL has been the best-selling chainsaw brand worldwide since 1971. The company was founded in 1926 and the corporate headquarters are in Waiblingen near Stuttgart, Germany. In 2019, STIHL had 16,722 employees worldwide and a turnover of € 3.93 billion.

The production manager passes on the baton at STIHL Tirol in Langkampfen: long-standing production manager Josef Koller (right) with his successor Richard Felix.

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