brazil - Stihl

BRAZIL
YEARS
Your history makes ours
STIHL BRAZIL 40 YEARS
YOUR hisTORY
MAKES OURs
São Leopoldo (RS)
2013
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“Machines and software
are nothing without people.”
Hans Peter Stihl
Honorary Chairman of the Advisory and Supervisory
Boards of the STIHL Group
Foreword
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CHAPTER FOUR
Some Stories
56
CHAPTER ONE
STIHL Identity
8
Closing Remarks
Board of Directors
76
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
Timeline
38
Tell your Story Contest
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Masthead
80
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Foreword
MANY STORIES
TO TELL
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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE PEOPLE who have
actively taken part of narratives with STIHL in the past, and those who
still do so on a daily basis. It bears witness to the commitment, dedication
and pride of everyone that helped build these 40 years of STIHL in Brazil.
It is a portrayal of a success story, a narrative about a company that will
continue to grow in the future, a story to which many new pages will still be
added. The book is intended for our clients, who choose STIHL products
based on their reliability and the strong bond they have developed with
the brand over the years. It is also intended for our business partners, who
work hand in hand with the company, and for all our employees, who
strive to do their very best, working for the sake of outstanding quality and
generating new business opportunities.
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Chapter 1
STIHL IDENTITY
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How it all started…
STIHL IS RECOGNIZED worldwide as a leading brand of portable
power tools. The first step on the road to achieving this position was taken
in 1926 with the launch of the first tool developed by Swiss engineer
Andreas Stihl, the company founder: a chainsaw that weighed 56 kilos and
had to be operated by two men.
Working conditions in the logging industry at that time were very
precarious, the only tools available were axes and hand saws. Because of its
innovative character, the chainsaw received enthusiastic support. That was
the beginning of the mission that STIHL would carry out in the coming
decades: create technology to make life easier for people.
Left: Andreas Stihl,
founder of a company
that serves as reference
for technology and quality
to this day
Above: one of the first
STIHL saw models
Previous page: the
1926 saw required two
operators
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Above: tests carried out
on the KS 43 model,
produced during World
War II
Below: two-operator
saw in use
Right: engineering
tests at the factory
in Germany
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From Stuttgart to the world
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By 1931, the products of the brand were already crossing the German
border – more precisely, the city of Stuttgart – simplifying the lives of people
in other countries and continents.
In spite of the losses brought about by World War II (1939- 1945), Andreas
Stihl rebuilt the factory in 1947, this time in Waiblingen, on the same piece
of land where the Stihl family lived. The administrative headquarters and
one of the factories are still located on the site.
Above: The BL model
(1950), the first saw that
could be operated by a
single person
Below: Andreas Stihl
purchased the paper mill
in Neustadt (Waiblingen)
by the river Rems, the
site of the company
headquarters to this day
Right: Quality control
department in the 1930s
and 40s
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Above: Design department
in the 1930s and 40s
Below: Assembly line in the
1930s and 40s
Above: Factory entrance
in Stuttgart
Below: Assembly line of the
BL saw model
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The father of the chainsaw
Andreas Stihl’s single-minded drive for innovation made the founder
known as “the father of the chainsaw” in 1959. The product responsible
for that title was the “STIHL Contra”, a chainsaw which, in addition to
being unbelievably light at 12 kilos – the first models weighed almost
four times as much – was able to increase the logging productivity by
200% compared to hand saws. The first STIHL brushcutter was also
launched at that time. Andreas Stihl died in 1973.
In the 1970s, STIHL adopted orange as the identifying color of the
brand and set out on its expansion course with the first two operations
outside Germany: Brazil and the United States.
Above: The STIHL Contra
model made Andreas Stihl
known as “the father of the
chainsaw”
Right: Andreas Stihl and
the famous STIHL Contra
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Above: Eva and Hans Peter
Stihl next to their father,
Andreas Stihl, in 1960
Below: The assembly line
in Germany in the 1970s
Right: The assembly line being
gradually mechanized in Germany
in the 1960s
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Below: The O8 model, one
of the best-selling chainsaws in Brazil
STIHL in Brazil
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STIHL arrived in Brazil around 1960, when the world already knew
about the exciting innovations that the company produced. At that time,
German businessman Karl Kurz, who was established in Rio de Janeiro,
sold STIHL chainsaws to clients from a few states across the country. “My
grandfather brought the first STIHL chainsaw to Brazil”, says Renato
Antonius de Azevedo, currently the director and owner of Karl Kurz
Máquinas Agrícolas, who still runs the store in the same city. As he recalls
it, Karl Kurz, originally from Frankfurt himself, met Andreas Stihl at a
trade fair in Hannover. “They became friends”, he says.
Karl was the first STIHL distributor in Brazil. Based initially in Rio de
Janeiro, he soon created a network of dealerships with a strong presence
in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and São Paulo. Right from
the beginning of his operations, Karl Kurz was importing several different
chainsaw models for the Brazilian market, such as the BLK, BDN, 07, 08
and the Contra.
Luiz Hohl, the owner of the dealership Casa do Pica-Pau, was also among
the pioneers working with the brand in the country. “I was practically the
only one who sold these machines in the state of Goiás, and I covered the
states of Pará and Mato Grosso as well. In the beginning I used to spend
a whole month in the forest, helping out my father at the sawmill. I only
spent about a week working as a traveling salesman”, he explains.
Very soon, as the STIHL quality became better known, Luiz started
dedicate himself almost full-time to sales. The same happened to other
salespeople, who over time also became STIHL dealers.
Luiz remembers one occasion when he went to buy chainsaws from Karl
Kurz. He was only planning to pick up a few units because he couldn’t
afford more than that, but in the end he was persuaded to take a total of
18. “I told Mr. Karl: ‘What do you mean? You don’t even know me!’, but
he replied: ‘When you come back for more products to sell, you can pay
me.’ He was right. I returned many times after that, he was the first person
to give me credit terms when I was starting out.” In 1969, Luiz opened
the first Casa do Pica Pau store, in Goiânia (GO). There are now six other
branches in the region.
At the end of the 1960s, sales of STIHL products in Brazil received a
boost when the company Trilho Otero started retailing them in the three
southern states of the country. “In March 1972, when the sales potential
for the entire Brazilian market was estimated at 500 units a year, we were
already selling 400 machines a month just in the Southern Region”, recalls
Arthur Torelly Franco, Marketing and Sales Director at STIHL from 1975
to 2001, and former employee at the importer.
Lothar Krause also started selling STIHL products at around this time,
at the store that bears his name in Santa Cruz do Sul (RS). “The moment
I saw how a chainsaw operates, I knew it would save time for my clients
and reduce their workload. I also knew I would be able to explain this
to my clients.” Lothar recalls many customers that had never seen the
equipment before and had the first demonstration of a STIHL chainsaw in
his store. “They still come here today. People come into the store and tell
me they were one of the first customers to buy a chainsaw, and now they
want to buy one for their son.”
Jayr Pereira de Lima, the owner of Remoto Comercial de Motores e
Peças, a dealership with two branches and 26 employees, was another
witness to the evolution of the brand on Brazilian soil. “In the beginning,
clients were a bit suspicious. They would even ask us to take the machine
apart so that they could check it out in detail. But this changed with the
opening of the STIHL factory in Brazil and with increased publicity over
the years. Today they come into the store with a firm decision to buy.”
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Above: Inauguration of the
STIHL plant in Brazil in 1975
Below: In 1978, a milestone: 100 thousand
chainsaws produced in Brazil
The factory
Production in São Leopoldo (RS) started in 1973, in a rented warehouse
near the city downtown. The official inauguration of the factory was in
October 1975, in a ceremony attended by members of the Stihl family, as
well as a host of local and federal dignitaries. The plant was built in a 16
hectare area in the newly implemented Industrial District Fazenda São
Borja.
“I had to make an important decision: I could either run São Leopoldo
in the old traditional way, taking care of sewers, street lights and
pavement – which of course are also important initiatives in a municipal
administration – or I could run the city thinking about the future.” This
is how Henrique Prieto, mayor of São Leopoldo (RS) from 1972 to 1976,
refers to the beginning of the process that would ultimately bring the
STIHL factory to Brazil.
In 1973 the mayor went to Germany as part of a marathon of meetings
with companies from that country, one of which was STIHL, the company
that had reached the position of best-selling chainsaw brand in the world
that same year. “We were taken on a guided tour of the factory. At night, a
dinner was held for us with Eva Stihl, the daughter of the founder, Andreas
Stihl”, he recalls.
As soon as the mayor returned to Brazil, a document was sent to Germany
assuring a series of commitments to install the factory in São Leopoldo.
The future location of the factory was a rural area at that stage. Several
public works, including the pavement of São Borja Avenue, telephone
lines as well as water and sewer systems, had to be completed very quickly.
“I remember that Peter Stihl was surprised at the lack of infrastructure, but
little by little we managed to honor all our commitments. Today STIHL is
the most important company in São Leopoldo, with the highest number
of employees and the most advanced technology. I’m proud to have been
one of those who helped bring the company here.”
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A committed team
right from the start
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Wiolandy Drews, who now works as Export Analyst, was one of
the first employees. She started as secretary in Advertising. “When
a vacancy came up in the Exports Department in 1988, instead of
recruiting somebody from outside, they preferred to give a chance to
someone inside the company, someone who spoke Spanish, English
and German”.
She freely admits that she was afraid of the change at the start, but
soon found she was comfortable carrying out her duties, using the
typewriter, the fax machine and the telephone – the computer would
only start to be used in the early 1990s.
Luiz Antônio da Rosa was also among the first members of the STIHL
team. He knew the brand very well since he was a child. His family had
four chainsaws on their property in Encruzilhada do Sul (RS), where he
grew up helping his parents on the field. From an early age, the tools
made him contemplate the possibility of one day joining the company.
“I dreamed of working for STIHL. I finished my military service and
then went straight to the company.” With some knowledge brought
from home, Luiz started working on the STIHL assembly line in 1981.
The factory was still relatively new in the city’s industrial district. At the
time, only two chainsaw models were assembled in Brazil.
But for someone like Luiz, who has already dedicated more than half
his life working for the company, STIHL will always be remembered
because of a more personal aspect. When his first daughter was 11
months old she started having convulsions. Luiz and his wife found out
that she had a rare blood disease. The prognosis was that the child would
never walk or talk, because no treatment was available for the disease in
Brazil. But STIHL arranged to import the medicine and subsidized the
treatment of the baby, who by now is 26 years old. “My daughter only
walks, talks, rides her bicycle, cooks and does everything on her own
because STIHL helped us out.”
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The strategic decision to
nationalize production
Although the initial proposal was to maintain São Leopoldo as a factory
assembling imported components, the economic policy of protecting
the national production and discouraging imports, promulgated by the
Geisel government (1974-1979), led to a change of strategy. “We set out
on a project to nationalize production, which was consolidated in the
early 1980s”, recalls Luciano Bicca de Bem, Purchasing Manager. The
Brazilian plant made a concerted effort to build up a national network
of suppliers, which made it possible to obtain components in Brazil at a
lower cost than those previously imported.
The nationalization of processes such as magnesium die casting and
the crankshaft production were implemented in the late 1970s. The
production of guide bars started in the early 80s. In parallel to this
process, new chainsaw models were nationalized, such as the 041 and
038 – the latter representing a watershed moment in terms of portfolio
diversification.
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Reference in the
country and in the world
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Over the years STIHL has served as a model for a number of Brazilian
companies, and has been chosen several times as one of the best
companies to work for in the country.
A key turning point in the history of STIHL Brazil was the inauguration
of the cylinder production line in 1996, which now supplies markets
worldwide.
Horst Bals was personally involved in this project. “As Managing
Director of the plant from 1985 to 2004, I oversaw much of the
operation. Today I see the fruits of the main seeds we planted back
then: leadership on the Brazilian market and exports to more than 30
countries, in addition to manufacturing cylinders for all other STIHL
plants worldwide. It is my sincere hope that STIHL will continue to
grow in the coming years.”
The Industrial Director at that time, Eero Jokiaho, still remembers
receiving the call with the news that Brazil had been chosen as the
production site: “That phone call was a joy! The cylinder is a strategic
component, and we had a huge challenge ahead of us. I’m really
proud to have been part of the group that started this production in
São Leopoldo. The cylinder is the heart of STIHL products, it’s very
gratifying to know that the operation has grown and developed, and
today is a reference.” Eero dedicated 21 years to the company and
retired in 2009.
Gilmar Schmitzhaus, Engine Durability Specialist at STIHL, also
remembers the beginning of operations: “We started out from scratch
to turn the idea into reality. We had to get the machinery and obtain
the expertise, but slowly we got better at it, and after a year of testing we
reached the quality of cylinders we were looking for”.
To put things into the proper perspective, more than 46 million
cylinders have been manufactured in Brazil since then.
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Dealerships and
Quality Services
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In the first four years after opening the plant in Brazil, the Marketing
and Sales Management embarked on an ambitious expansion plan: set up
branches in different regions and consolidate a network of 800 dealerships
across the country, a target that was met within the specified time frame.
In the area of Marketing, a novelty for the time was the project of
standardized dealerships. “The objective was for all dealerships to have
a standard paint scheme, a lighted storefront sign and a specific area for
chainsaws”, says Arthur Torelly Franco. He always kept in mind a comment
made by Andreas Stihl: “In principle, all chainsaws are good. The leader
will be the one that provides quality services to the client.” This does not
depend only on good sales staff, but also includes a workshop, a trained
mechanic, a ready supply of spare parts and accessories, as well as qualified
servicing.
“A visitor to our store will now find the showroom, the servicing shop
and an area dedicated to the technical delivery of STIHL products. The
areas are exclusive and are not used for other products”, explains Astor
Weizenmann, manager of the Montenegro (RS) branch of the dealership
AD Brenner. As a STIHL dealer for the last 40 years, Astor emphasizes that
the technical quality of STIHL has always made a difference over time.
The same feeling is voiced at the headquarters of AD Brenner, in Lajeado
(RS). “In addition to the technology, the after-sales is excellent”, says Luis
Carlos Brenner, director of the dealership.
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Diversified portfolio
A wide range of products from the STIHL Group portfolio have been
launched in Brazil over the years. Among many others, the first handheld blower (1983), the first chainsaw with a catalytic converter (1988),
the multi-purpose tool KA 85 (2000s) and the battery-powered product
range (2012).
“With every new model we’d start everything all over again. Someone
would go to Germany, come back and hold a course for us”, says Ivan
Luis da Silva, who has been an assembly-line worker in São Leopoldo
for 34 years. When he started, back in 1979, only two chainsaw models
were assembled, the 08 and 051. Geraldo Luiz Einloft, Sales Manager
for the Southern Region, explains that sales for the first model were
higher in the South and the second had higher sales in the North.
Rolf Nebelung, Managing partner at WS Máquinas Ltda., a STIHL
dealership in Blumenau (SC), recalls that the 08 chainsaw gained a wide
following among his clients. Over the years, the dealership witnessed
the growing diversification of the STIHL brand on the Brazilian market
and saw its sales increase accordingly.
Absolute success
In 2013, the São Leopoldo (RS) plant celebrates its 40th anniversary
with a workforce of around 2 thousand employees, manufacturing portable
power tools that can be found in over 2,400 points of sale across the
country, as well as cylinders for the STIHL Group worldwide, in addition
to coordinating the business administration of the Brazilian market,
handling exports and dealing with importers. The excellent performance
in the country goes step by step with the success of the Group overseas:
over 12 thousand employees working in production plants and subsidiaries
around the world, making STIHL products available in over 40 thousand
points of sale, spread across the 160 countries in which STIHL Group is
currently present.
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Corporate Culture
The STIHL philosophy is based on three main pillars, which are
considered fundamental for day-to-day work. It is the STIHL way of being,
with products and processes of outstanding quality, ensuring worldwide
technological leadership.
Top Quality
“Made by STIHL” stands for top quality of products and process
throughout the world. The high level of engineering know-how guarantees
the company’s technology leadership. STIHL constantly demonstrates its
competence as world leader with innovations for improving functionality,
user friendliness and environmental protection as well as user product
safety.
Environment and Energy
STIHL declares its commitment to sustainability in conservation of
the environment. The company undertakes to practice a high level of
environmental protection and energy efficiency and their continuous
improvement - in our company processes and in our products. We shall
reduce our energy consumption on a long-term basis and use energy
economically.
Business World
STIHL embraces the principles of the social market economy and
competitione, recognizes employees’ freedom of association, rejects any
form of forced labor or child labor, guarantees equality of opportunity in
recruitment and employment, undertakes to maintain, and constantly and
purposefully improve, safety and health at work at a high level, and promotes
the integration of physically and psychologically handicapped persons.
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Chapter 2
TIMELINE
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Highlights
ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES you will read about some events
remarkable from the last 40 years at STIHL and the world. This summary
was prepared with the help of people who contributed with their accounts
about what they experienced and witnessed over the years as dealers,
employees and former employees, sharing their collective memories to
create this compilation of the STIHL timeline.
1970s
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“NOVENTA MILHÕES em ação, pra frente, Brasil, do meu coração!
Todos juntos, vamos, pra frente, Brazil, salve a seleção!” (“Ninety million in
action, go ahead, Brazil, from the bottom of my heart! All together now, go
ahead Brazil, hail the national football team!”) This was the soundtrack at
the beginning of the decade when STIHL started its production in Brazil.
The national football team had won the World Cup for the third time and
the country was still celebrating. In spite of the turbulent political moment
– the country was under a dictatorship – Brazilians were going through
a promising economic period in the 1970s, financed with foreign funds,
the so-called economic miracle. In the same decade, STIHL also became
the world’s leading chainsaw brand. In terms of worldwide developments,
this decade is remembered for the rise of political engagement and
environmental awareness, as well as by the affirmation of women’s rights in
society. On a pop culture level, the decade saw the rise of disco music and
the punk movement.
1970
• Brazil wins the World Cup, held in Mexico. In addition to the excitement in
football, the country was experiencing the economic miracle, with surprising
growth rates financed with foreign bank loans
• On the political front, Brazilians had been living under dictatorship since 1964,
which would last until 1985
Above: The STIHL plant in Brazil was inaugurated in 1975
1972
• STIHL attends Expointer (right), one
of the most important national and
international agricultural trade fairs in
the country, which is still held annually
on the Assis Brasil Exhibition Grounds
in Esteio (RS). German technicians
took part of the event, adding another
attraction to the product demonstrations
1973
• Start of production at STIHL Brazil, in
São Leopoldo (RS)
1975
• STIHL hires its first advertisement
agency, investing in television ads,
printed media and radio advertisement.
The communication activities were
developed by the importing company
on a regional level before the
1978
inauguration of the plant
• STIHL Brazil reaches an important
production milestone: 100 thousand
1977
chainsaws, on February 16 (picture
• First movie from science fiction Star
below)
Wars series was launched. Five other films
would be released until 2005, grossing a
1979
total of 4.41 billion dollars at the box-office
• STIHL Brazil has a total of 250
employees
1980s
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SHARED MANAGEMENT and even stronger focus on quality were the
main aspects implemented during the 1980s at the STIHL plant in Brazil.
The decade also saw the nationalization project become consolidated, as
well as the first expansion of the plant since its opening, making room for
the production of guidebars.
In Brazil, as elsewhere in the world, items such as the videocassete, the
walkman, videogames and the PC gained popularity. In addition to these
technological novelties, Brazilians also experienced something new on
the political front: redemocratization, and after more than two decades of
dictatorship, the first direct presidential election.
1982
• Launch of Pacman, a videogame developed by
Atari, an absolute worldwide best-seller
• Introduction of the Brazilian STIHL chainsaw
in Argentina. During the Falklands War, the
neighboring country experiences import
restrictions for European goods. After purchasing
the equipment in Brazil, the Argentinians adopt
the plant as their number one supplier. A sales
subsidiary has now been set up in the country
Above:
Construction of the
gatehouse in 1981
1984
• Release of the first successful personal
computer, the Macintosh, developed by Apple.
The equipment was the first to integrate the
concept of graphic interface, using icons,
windows and a mouse
• Start of the political movement “Diretas Já”,
demanding direct presidential elections in Brazil
Above: Guidebars in the STIHL factory
Below: Model 038 in operation in the 1980s
• STIHL Brazil opens the guidebar production
plant, the first expansion of the factory since 1975.
Now the building also houses the production
of brushcutter blades, which previously were
imported
• STIHL launches the MS 038 Super chainsaw
– ideal for the reforestation industry. Product
Engineering sought advice from Germany to
modernize the product. This was the machine that
started the diversification of the Brazilian range
1985
• Total Quality Management is incorporated into the routines of the plant in
São Leopoldo. Three-dimensional measuring tools are introduced to assist in
monitoring production processes
1988
• The STIHL Group launches the first chainsaw with
a catalytic converter (the photo on the left shows a
catalytic converter being tested on the workbench)
• Promulgation of the Federal Constitution of Brazil
started being drafted at the end of the military
dictatorship, in 1985. The first direct presidential
elections were held in 1989, 29 years since the
previous ones
1989
• Implementation of Profit (Total industrial focus
program, in portuguese “Programa de Focalização
Industrial Total”), a tool that allowed joint
management of the plant in São Leopoldo (RS)
1990s
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THE POPULARIZATION of the internet was one of the main aspects of
the 1990s, a decade that also marked the end of the Cold War (1945-1991)
– the conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding
political, economic and ideological influence over the entire world.
The most important aspect of the decade for STIHL Brazil was the launch
of the brushcutters. Today these tools represent a significant share of the
company sales in the country.
1992
• STIHL Group develops technology
for the production of blowers with
low noise emission (below)
1994
• Brazil wins the FIFA World Cup for
the fourth time
1995
• On April 5, STIHL reaches the
milestone of 1.5 million engines
produced in Brazil (above)
1996
• STIHL is awarded the
Quality Certificate ISO
9001
• Construction of
the building for the
production of cylinders
(right) in Brazil. That
same year STIHL
Brazil would be ready
to supply markets
worldwide
1997
• STIHL is chosen for the first time one of the best
places to work in Brazil, a distinction that would be
repeated on five further occasions
1998
• Launch of the first
chainsaws with tool
free filler caps (right),
which does not require
the use of a tool for
refueling, allowing for
quick opening and
closing. The feature was
introduced in models
MS 029 and MS 039
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2000s
STIHL BRAZIL opens its first Training Center in 2005 at the plant in
São Leopoldo (RS). Before this, there was only a small training room –
which everyone referred to as “the little school” – where courses were
held.
2001
• The first draft of the human
genome sequence is published
by the science journal Nature. It
was the presentation of the results
obtained in the Genome Project,
a collaboration of scientists from
around the world to map the
human DNA sequence
2002
• Brazil wins the FIFA World Cup for the
fifth time
2003
• STIHL’s 30th anniversary in Brazil with
two new buildings inaugurated in the
São Leopoldo plant
2003
• First edition of STIHL
TIMBERSPORTS. More than 3,500
people took part of the sporting
event held in Germany and
organized by the STIHL Group. The
event is now held annually
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2006
• STIHL Group reaches the milestone
of 40 million chainsaws produced
since its foundation, in 1926
2007
• Launch of the STIHL 4-MIX
technology in Brazil, combining
the advantages of the 2-stroke and
4-stroke engines, with reduced
emission of pollutant gases and lower
noise level
2010s
50
RENOVATION AND INNOVATION. In the current decade, priority
has been given to large investments in technology worldwide. At STIHL
Brazil, an industrial development plan is launched, resulting from
accelerated growth and leading to a broad modernization of processes.
The battery-powered range of products comes to innovate the portfolio,
attracting consumers from all over the country, who can easily find the
brand due to the expansion of the sales network.
2010
• Brazil becomes the second
ranking country in terms of Twitter
accounts. The country still holds
that position now, with 41.2 million
user accounts on the social network
• Dilma Rousseff is elected the first
female president of Brazil, with 56%
of the votes
2011
• Royal Wedding of Prince William
and Kate Middleton
• The STIHL Group celebrates its
85th anniversary
2012
• STIHL Brazil launches its battery-powered range
of products, an innovative technology that allows
for greater mobility and practicality, without any
emission of pollutant gases. The range that comes
to the market includes a chainsaw, brushcutter,
hedge trimmer, blower and the
first lawnmower launched
by the company in Brazil,
in addition to a charger and
batteries
• Facebook reaches the
milestone of 1 billion
active monthly users
worldwide
2013
• On April 18, the new Distribution
Center of STIHL Brazil is inaugurated
at the São Leopoldo plant, the largest
single investment in the history of
the STIHL Group, with 16 thousand
square meters of built-up area. The
recent growth and diversification
of the domestic market led to the
construction of the building, which
provides a larger storage area and
improved loading docks
• On the occasion of
its 40th anniversary
in Brazil, STIHL adopts
a new slogan: Your
history makes ours
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Chapter 3
TELL YOUR STORY CONTEST
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Day-to-day characters
OVER THESE LAST four decades, many people have experienced
and witnessed stories with STIHL. These moments may have taken place
in meeting rooms, stores, rural properties and houses across the country,
or also within the factory buildings and along the production lines. Each
of these episodes is important as it represents the STIHL way of being. A
way of being that, above all, values people.
For this reason, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, STIHL
launched the contest “Tell Your Story”, in line with the new slogan of
the company: “Your history makes ours”. The goal of the initiative was to
make known and celebrate stories from the different audiences involved
with the brand.
The contest, which was held over a period of four months, drew
participants from the entire country, who eagerly shared their experiences.
The stories were divided into five categories: clients, employees, points
of sale, suppliers and others (this last category was meant for those
contestants who do not fit into the other ones, but are still associated in
one way or another to STIHL).
The jury panel was made up of professionals from several different
areas of the company, resulting in a truly multidisciplinary team. The
stories were evaluated by the criteria stipulated in the contest regulation:
creativity and originality.
The five successful contestants – one in each category – received,
in addition to the compliments of STIHL, an electric blower and a
promotional kit from the brand.
And now, on the following pages you can read a few of the stories in
this great narrative. They are examples of what takes place in the daily
life of some very special characters: the clients, employees and partners
of STIHL.
55
56
Chapter 4
SOME STORIES
CLIENTS
58
EMPLOYEES
62
POINTS OF SALE
SUPPLIERS
OTHERS
66
70
74
57
CLIENTS
58
A very special brushcutter
“AT THE BEGINNING OF 2013, my father decided that we needed
a brushcutter to take care of a property we have in Juiz de Fora (MG). As an
agronomist engineer I had good references from STIHL and knew the brand
since 2009, so I told him we’d go to the STIHL dealer to buy one.
But my father, who’s always had a bit of a stubborn nature, wanted to look
at some other brands first. So we went to a couple of stores to check out their
equipment. He picked up one brushcutter after another, tried each one out
as if he were actually using it, but wasn’t really pleased with any one of them.
Then we finally got to a STIHL store and he bought a brushcutter FS 350. I
would only be able to teach him how to use the brushcutter on the following
weekend, but he was so excited he didn’t want to wait that long. ‘The manual
and the technician’s instructions are good enough for me, that’s all I need.’ So
he bought some protection gear and went off to clear our “ranch”.
The following weekend, everything was spruced up when I got there. I soon
saw my father working in the middle of the pasture, swinging the brushcutter
confidently back and forth. He walked up to talk to me, all excited: ‘What do
you think?’, he asked. I answered with another question: ‘Dad, did you do all
this by yourself?’ He smiled and nodded: ‘You’d think a machine this strong
would be unwieldy, but it’s light and really easy to use.’
Sadly, only four months later my father passed away due to complications
of diabetes. My brother and I now take care of the property on weekends. I
don’t know exactly why, but whenever I use the brushcutter to take care of the
property my dad loved so much, I feel good, as if I were closer to him. I guess
my brother must feel the same way, because we now fight over who gets to use
the brushcutter. In a certain way, the brushcutter brings back unforgettable
moments with my dad and it has brought me closer to my brother as well.
That makes me happy.
I don’t know if it was just coincidence, but I read about this contest on
the STIHL website when I was looking for additional blades for that same
brushcutter. That’s what made me want to share this little story of my life.”
Anderson de Souza da Silva
Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Category winner
59
Blowing away discouragement
“OUR RELATIONSHIP with STIHL goes back many years. At our
wedding, my father-in-law gave us a brushcutter. It might seem like a
strange wedding gift, but it was our best present.
We live on a piece of land that I like to call ‘our blessed little green
corner’. My husband keeps the lawn trimmed like a carpet, and we have
put a lot of love and care into our garden and orchard. Beautiful old native
trees are found across the grounds. In November 2012, however, the area
where we live (Indaial/SC) was hit by a violent storm, with wind gusts of
120 km/h, heavy rains and hail. Besides the material damage, what really
saddened us was seeing the garden and the orchard devastated. There
was nothing left. We bought a STIHL chainsaw to clear the access road,
remove the branches, cut down the broken trees around the house. It was
sad to see our formerly immaculate lawn in such a state, and it seemed
like it would take forever to clean up the mess. Then a good friend of ours
from the city of Blumenau lent us his STIHL blower. It only took us a day
to clean up our whole garden.
I always tell my husband that the blower blew away our discouragement.
Seeing everything neat and tidy kept our motivation going. Coming home
in the evening the following week and finding everything spick and span
was much more encouraging.”
Marilei Tanchella
Indaial (SC)
The joy of the brushcutter
“MY SON HAS BEEN crazy about brushcutters ever since he was
barely two years old.
We have a small acreage in the countryside of Piraí, Paraná. To take
care of the grounds we have had a STIHL brushcutter for a couple of
years. Everyone at home has learned to use it by now, because the task
of keeping the scrub under control is so much easier with the correct use
of the equipment. My son, who was born four years after we bought the
property, has always seen us using the tool, and as soon as he started to
walk we had to constantly keep an eye on him: when you least expected
it, there he was at the tool shed, the brushcutter in his hands. If he saw
anybody using it, he would run after us, insisting that he too wanted to
help out.
I remember once when he managed to bring the brushcutter into
the house, and we caught him pretending to be using the tool, making
sounds as if he were revving up the engine. He’s now 8, we have another
brushcutter, and of course he wants to learn to use this one too. We hope
this interest continues when he’s older. It’s good to see that he appreciates
the country life. He also like STIHL a lot. He knows the company makes a
number of products, and has even been dreaming of a lawn mower lately.
He might very well become an experienced used of STIHL tools, who
knows? I hope so, anyway. What would be really great is if we moved out
here for good, so that we could enjoy a better quality of life with all the
ease provided by STIHL tools.”
Edina Guedin Sviech
Piraí (PR)
61
EMPLOYEES
62
The family’s chainsaw
“STIHL HAS BEEN PART of my entire childhood. The tool my father
was proudest of was his STIHL chainsaw. It always reminded him of the
courage he once had to muster to take the decision to quit a steady paying
job and start working with timber. He made a deal with my uncles: he
would buy their land, and slowly pay them back with the money made
from logging.
My mother always said those were pretty hard times. After all, there
were four kids to feed. Still, he managed to pay off the debt for every single
property he bought. He was the only person in the area who had a chainsaw,
and I remember how proud he was of his work. In fact, the chainsaw was
so important that he used to keep it inside the house, together with the
family. No wonder I grew up with the idea that STIHL is the best brand
there is, and that you only get something in life with hard work. My father
always was a very reserved and hard working man. He knew I went to
college, but didn’t know exactly what I was studying.
When I started working at STIHL, however, he went around telling
everyone about my new job. Whenever I visited my parents, he would say:
‘Make sure you do a good job there, it’s a very good company, don’t you
go and waste this opportunity.’ He never actually got to know the company
STIHL as such, he just made the connection with the chainsaw he had. I
have worked at this company for twenty years now, and just like my father
did, I can say that I have built my life story with STIHL.
My father died a few years ago, but the old chainsaw is probably still
there. As it is too heavy for my mother to use, she has now bought a lighter
model. She is 72 years old, but says there is always some wood to cut or a
tree to prune, and she doesn’t want to depend on anyone. New times, new
applications, but always STIHL.”
Vania Benetti Bose
Systems Analyst
I.T. Department
Category Winner
63
Proud father
“I AM VERY PROUD to work in a place with values that allow people
to build their life stories and at the same time strengthen the company. In
these 28 years working at STIHL, the biggest event in my life, and that of
my family, was the birth of our daughter, Luiza.
She has Down Syndrome, and had to undergo several surgeries to
correct a serious health problem when she was only three months old. I
will always be grateful for all the support and attention I received from my
colleagues, something that was very important to give me strength to keep
on and never give up. I will always remember that. Just like STIHL, Luiza
is a winner who taught me to see life with new eyes. Today I value even
the smallest of details.
When I walk around the plant and see co-workers with the same
disability she has being treated as equals and working efficiently, I feel
valued. I am very grateful and deeeply convinced that these small attitudes
make all the difference in our life stories.”
Paulo Jorge Bazo
Market Specialist
Marketing Department
The dream of the chainsaw
“WHEN I WAS STILL A KID, way back in 1962, I used to live in the
coutryside of São Gabriel (RS). Everyone in the family had a household
chore to do, and mine was to make sure there was enough firewood to keep
the stove going.
Although my grandfather wanted to buy a chainsaw, that was just a
dream at the time. Instead, my work tool was a good old axe with an oak
handle and a sharp blade. On a cloudy winter day, standing in front of
a huge pile of firewood, I once saw an image which resembled that of
Our Lady in my grandmother’s bedroom. When I moved the logs, the
image disappeared, but remained in my memory. I spent the rest of the
day mesmerized at that sight, feeling privileged on the one hand, but at the
same time wondering if I should tell anyone about it.
That same night these thoughts came back to haunt me again. I
dreamed of the same pile of firewood – only this time it was much larger,
my axe lay broken on the ground and everybody kept asking me for more
wood. Instead of Our Lady, I could see a chainsaw. I woke up startled, but
the dream was over. Well, maybe not. Years later, in 1978, the image came
back to me. I was already studying mechanical engineering at that time,
very far from São Gabriel. It happened on the day I signed my intership
contract at STIHL.
When I walked into the assembly line, I came across my childhood
dream: there it was, sitting on top of a eucalyptus trunk, a MS 075 AV,
with its 14 kilos. The dream became reality: I graduated as an engineer, a
career at STIHL, goals achieved, STIHL number 1 in Brazil. STIHL did
not forget the little kid, and nowadays, even in the farthest corners of this
immense country, the company stands right next to all those who dream
of building a better Brazil.”
Luciano Bicca de Bem
Purchasing Department Manager
65
POINTS OF SALE
66
The kid in the rain
“IN JULY 2008 I attended a graduation ceremony at the STIHL plant
in São Leopoldo (RS) for the PAGE Course (“Programa de Atualização
de Gerentes Executivos”, a training program for managers of STIHL
dealerships). I remember travelling with the expectation of a kid playing
soccer in the rain, eager for the fist kick. When I arrived, I was impressed
at the grandiosity of the plant, of the canteen, the stately room where
the graduation would take place, the buildings where the cylinders are
manufactured: everything was magnificent.
I was moved to tears. My classmates wanted to know what was going
on, so I told them: ‘I know I live every moment like the kid playing in
the rain. I have done important things, such as being here, without being
important myself. Who am I to be here? I’m just the kid in the rain!’. I will
never forget that day. It was a moment to relish a victory.
It wasn’t easy to become a STIHL dealer. I used up 20 public telephone
cards in 2005 until I could talk to the person in charge of sales in the
Southeast Region. When he came to my workshop and saw my drive and
determination, he named me authorized dealer. We grew, went through
some rough patches, but today we are reaching our goals.
I am proud of what I do and have a real sense of passion about it. And
what I do is being STIHL. Every time I make a technical delivery, I see
in my client’s eyes the satisfaction of being face to face with the solution
to his problem. When I visited the plant, I looked at all that and thought
to myself: ‘My God, I’m a part of all of this, I work so that this blessed
company continues to grow every day. I can say with pride that I am one
more little ant in this enormous anthill called STIHL!’”
Luiz Carlos de Souza Paz
HL Motosserras Mantena (MG) dealership
Category winner
67
Two brothers
“MY STORY with STIHL goes back to the beginning of my working
life. Ever since I opened my own business I felt this immense urge to work
with the company. I received proposals to sell other brands, but I had an
intuition, a conviction: I wanted to sell STIHL products.
I can say that this brand represents something like an older brother
to me. STIHL is now turning 40; my company, 30. I have followed and
cheered for the evolution of STIHL as one would follow and cheer for the
development of a brother. I can say that I have learned a lot from following
the steps of STIHL, from observing and admiring my older brother and
friend, always competent and demanding, that makes you look beyond the
commonplace and the obvious.
I can say that through STIHL I have met a lot of people and made
friends, I experienced unique moments and situations at trade fairs, which
are truly excellent venues for sales.
I can say, with great joy and satisfaction, that I was able to reach many
of the goals set out for me by my older brother.
I can say that this is easy when you have an older brother who provides
you with guarantees, who values you and who has plenty of quality to offer
you. Thank you, STIHL! Here’s hoping for at least another 40 years!”
Flávio Ferreira Meirelles
Serra do Sudeste Agropecuária dealership
Encruzilhada do Sul (RS)
Day to day STIHL
“STIHL ENTERED MY LIFE together with my love. When my future
husband and I started going out, he told me he worked with chainsaws and
agricultural implements, which for me was a completely unknown world.
As time went by I entered this world little by little.
We got married and at the same time purchased one more store in
another town, so I took on a position in that dealership. From then on, not
only did I start working and becoming better acquainted with the brand,
I practically started to breathe STIHL. After all, it represented 90% of our
turnover. I started gaining a better understanding of everything that the
area involves, from the need to sell, to the importance of maintenance,
client service and environmental awareness.
Today I am very proud to be able to explain what the brand stands
for: the responsibility and the concern of a company that strives for the
well-being of everyone. STIHL entered my life through my marriage and
represented a new stage to me. It is present on a daily basis and influences
my decisions. I am proud that my story contributes to building STIHL’s
story.”
Deisy M. K. Perozzo
Comércio de Máquinas Agrícolas Perozzo dealership
Campo Erê (SC)
69
SUPPLIERS
70
The sound of a chainsaw
“I WAS ABOUT 8 or 9 years old, a simple country girl who already
worked on the fields with my father. I remember that I used to hear in
the distance the sound of chainsaws clearing the eucalyptus bush. My
father would sometimes say: ‘That can only be a STIHL! You can tell
it’s better just from the sound of the engine’. So for me STIHL was a
factory of chainsaws, I had no idea about the variety of products the brand
manufactures.
Time passed, and when I was 32, I moved to São Leopoldo (RS), where
the STIHL plant is located. I then got a job at a post office franchise that
served some STIHL departments, such as mailing leaflets. After some years
I became the sales manager of the franchise, working directly with the
company and even visiting the plant. I clearly remember my first visit, it
was incredible, I felt I had come back to the past: the sound of the chainsaw
and my father’s voice seemed to come alive in my memory. I slowly got
to know many departments and started adding value to the services we
provided, thereby strengthening our partnership with the Postal Service.
In meetings with the Marketing and Shipping Departments we shared
ideas about the best shipping alternatives, taking into account the cost
of the item, the delivery time and the satisfaction level of STIHL clients.
What started out as a simple over-the-counter service, eventually turned
into a formal contract agreement. The partnership with STIHL has been
going strong for 22 years, and I have been involved with it for 16.
For me, STIHL represents the development of that little country girl
who identified the sound of the chainsaw in the distance. Today, this is a
full-time occupation, I have become a entrepreneur woman, who strives to
reach her goals with simplicity, commitment and appreciation.”
Maria Ines Motta Cerveira
AGF Vinte e Cinco de Julho
São Leopoldo (RS)
Category winner
71
Quality partnership
“THE COMPANY I WORK FOR manufactures technical parts in
phenolic resin (bakelite) and plastics in general for use in machines,
equipment and electrical material. We had been supplying STIHL for
some time already, when we went through a difficult moment because
of the worldwide economic crisis at the end of 2008. Our costs were very
high and we were seriously at risk of losing market share, but with the help
of STIHL we managed to turn the game around.
The company invited us to take part in a Kaizen practice, a tool
for continuous improvement, at one of its direct suppliers. From that
day on, we started to implement the principles of this philosophy on
all our productive processes, correcting faults such as excessive stock
levels, manpower, overtime work, production, transport costs, handling,
processing and waste.
The Kaizen approach continues to contribute to the construction of
a new culture within the company, a culture based on principles such as
developing new leaderships, breaking paradigms, and diminishing work
while increasing production. After implementing 42 Kaizen practices,
we now have a new objective: developing a production system based on
Lean Manufacturing which aims to increase the efficiency of production
by means of the continuous elimination of wastes. The partnership with
STIHL is still going strong.
With its participation at the 1St South-Brazilian Lean Manufacturing
Forum and other initiatives, STIHL, through its department of continuous
improvement, provides an incentive for our company to grow in a
sustainable manner.”
Thiago Petersen
IPOS
Caxias do Sul (RS)
When I comes before H
“IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR, not to mention a source of immense
pride, for our company to share at least 20% of the forty years of STIHL
in Brazil. For us as a supplying company, more than simply shared
experiences, these years have provided us with many learning opportunities
for our daily practice.
With STIHL, we have learned that quality is not an added value, it is
essential. With STIHL, we have learned that nature can become much
more beautiful if properly taken care of. With STIHL, we have learned
that Germany can also be found within the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
With STIHL, we have learned to express ourselves in the superlative, after
all, STIHL products are extremely useful! With STIHL, we have learned
that AFAS is a synonym of many encounters and meetings, enjoyable
or strategic in nature. With STIHL, we have learned that behind those
incredibly complicated surnames are down-to-earth and really friendly
people. With STIHL, we have learned that family is a concept that extends
beyond the one we have at home. With STIHL, we have learned to love
the color orange, and that the color matches perfectly with grey.
With STIHL, we have learned that the letter “I” comes before “H”.
With STIHL, more precisely with Mr. Peter Stihl, we have learned that
machines are nothing without people. With STIHL, we have learned
about aspiring to make history. And that only the best is good enough!”
Roberta Muradás
Giornale Comunicação Empresarial
Porto Alegre (RS)
73
OTHERS
74
A brushcutter specialist
“IN 2001 I STARTED WORKING on a fruit farm in Teolândia
(BA). I had just arrived in town, trying to start over after a period of
unemployment. When the farm owner bought a FS 160 brushcutter, I
decided to figure out how the machine worked.
I remember studying in detail the manual that came with the
equipment. I guess because of this initiative I ended up becoming
the brushcutter operator on the farm, in charge of maintenance and
everything. A year later, when I returned to my hometown, Canavieiras
(BA), I got a job thanks to the experience gained in Teolândia.
The city administration was looking for someone who could repair
two STIHL brushcutters, a FS 160 and a FS 220. I immediately
identified the problem, so I was appointed brushcutter mechanic and
team monitor. I spent ten years working at the City Hall of Canavieiras.
I currently live in Vitória (ES) and work for a service provider, a job
that I also got thanks to my story with STIHL. Today I thank God and
STIHL, because after I started working with the brushcutters of that
brand, I have never been unemployed again.”
Juvenal Oliveira de Sena
Vitória (ES)
Category winner
75
76
Closing Remarks
SPECIAL THANKS
WE ARE VERY PLEASED to be celebrating 40 years of STIHL
operation in Brazil. The book that you have just read is a compilation of a
history written by many hands. Along the pages of this publication you have
followed historical events, individual recollections and personal accounts
presented by the people who deserve the greatest credit for the success of the
STIHL brand in Brazil.
Experiencing four decades in Brazil has meant more than consolidating
the company on the national market. In this period we can say that the
Group has been strengthened by the support it has received from the
Brazilian culture. STIHL Brazil is made up of many accents, friendly
people, spontaneous smiles and a strong drive to grow. What’s more, this
mixture has been such a success that today we are seen as a reference.
77
From left to right: Dr. Karsten Wagner, Vice-President Cylinder Operations; Cláudio
Guenther, President of STIHL Brazil; Selina Stihl, Vice-President Administration and
Finances; Arno Tomasini, Vice-President Engines Operations; and Romário Britto, VicePresident Marketing and Sales
Thus, we would like to extend our recognition and our thanks to all the
leading actors of our story. We have come this far by overcoming challenges,
celebrating achievements and, above all, by building relations of trust.
That is why the day-to-day events are so significant for us.
We know that all these years have been very important to enable us to
look forward into the future and identify many opportunities for the constant
development on the path of STIHL Brazil.
We will continue working together and making history.
Board of directors STIHL Brazil
78
79
MASTHEAD
This publication was created by STIHL
Ferramentas Motorizadas Ltda.
Coordination
STIHL Communication Department
Avenida São Borja, 3.000 • Zip Code: 93032-000
São Leopoldo/RS Brazil
www.stihl.com.br • comunicacao@stihl.com.br
Production and Execution
Giornale Comunicação Empresarial
Phone: (51) 3378-7100
www.giornale.com.br
contato@giornale.com.br
General Director
Denise Polidori
Executive and Strategic Director
Fernanda Carvalho Garcia
Content Director and Journalist in Charge
Roberta Muradás - Professional Register
Number 9351
Publication Coordination
Aline Marques
Editors
Aline Marques
Daiana de Araújo
Sabrina Mello
Cover
STIHLCommunication Department
Design
Samir Machado de Machado
Photographs
Tânia Meinerz and Image Bank from the
STIHL Group (some products featured in this
publication are merely used for illustration
purposes and are not sold in Brazil)
This book was produced with the support and cooperation of
STIHL dealers, STIHL employees and former employees