The STIHL Story

Andrew R. Thomas and Timothy J. Wilkinson

Chapter Chapter 6 in The Customer Trap, 2015, pp 75-90 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Fred Whyte, president of US-based STIHL, speaks about the outdoor power equipment produced by STIHL with the same kind of care and deliberation you would expect from someone who was clearing trees with one of the firm’s legendary chain saws. He has been with the company for 42 years—the last 25 as president of US operations. Before that, he was the president of STIHL Canada for 10 years. Whyte remains a Canadian citizen, a fact concealed by a Midwestern accent that avoids even the occasional “eh.” When we met with him, we started with this question: “Was there ever a moment that you were tempted to sell through the big-box stores?” He paused for a moment and then followed with an emphatic, “Unequivocally, no.” And then he said, “You can’t be all things to all people. You have to know who you are and what you are going to be when you grow up.”

Keywords: Wall Street Journal; Power Equipment; National Brand; Lawn Mower; Hearing Protector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-1-4842-0385-9_6

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DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4842-0385-9_6

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