The Stihl Group finished fiscal year 2022 with record-breaking revenue of 5.5 billion euros ($5.97 billion), equating to growth of 8.6% compared to the previous year. As an international business, the company generated 90% of its revenue outside its domestic market of Germany. The rise was attributable in particular to currency effects, inflation-related price adjustments, and stronger demand for higher-price professional products. Excluding currency effects, revenue would have grown by 3.1%. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the Stihl Group employed 20,552 people, an increase of 2.3% year on year. 

Michael Traub, chairman of the Executive Board of Stihl, said: 

“Our sales remained high in the fiscal year 2022. However, we recorded a slight decline in demand compared to the high-growth in previous years. That’s because 2022 was heavily influenced by economic and geopolitical challenges, such as disrupted supply chains, material shortages, war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and inflation — something we also felt in terms of business performance.”

Sales growth was slowed by a variety of factors, including weak economic performance in U.S. and western European core markets, declining purchasing power, and a more marked shift in consumer spending to other areas of life (such as traveling and eating out) as a result of eased Covid restrictions. Although the trend toward battery-operated products remained intact, the Stihl Group saw a slight decline in the gasoline-powered segment. Traub said: 

“The shift from gasoline to battery power is in full swing. STIHL is actively shaping this transformation by focusing on dual technological leadership. We are consistently and systematically making massive investments in battery technology while continuing to fully support the sustainable and environmentally friendly advancement of our gasoline-powered products.” 

In North America, battery-operated products continued to gain traction. While demand for battery-operated tools rose, sales of gasoline-powered tools fell slightly.

Battery-Operated Equipment Goals

Battery-powered products represent the fastest-growing market segment for Stihl. Today the Stihl product range includes more than 80 battery-operated tools for private consumers and professionals, which account for 20% of the Stihl tools sold worldwide. By 2027, Stihl plans to increase this share to at least 35%, with a goal of 80% for 2035.

“The aim is for Stihl to take on a leading position at the head of the battery-operated market,” Traub says. “To this end, our top priority in terms of investment lies in the development and production of innovative and powerful battery-operated products.”

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