The Retort

Executive in Residence and STIHL President Visits Montana State Billings

April 18th, 2011 by Heidi Leritz Of The Retort Staff

In 1926 a man from Zurich Germany by the name of Andreas Stihl invented his first model of the “tree-felling machine,” or what you might be more familiar with as the chainsaw. Though the 140 pound machine did not have the same specifications of modern chainsaws, it would soon change the methods of loggers all over the world.

Just a few years later Stihl opened his first factory in Germany where they began to develop their two-man 140 pound model into a one-man 100 pound machine. Since those first monumental models of the chainsaw, the STIHL Company has transformed into an international corporation offering a wide range of power tools. Though the company has flooded borders, the Stihl family continues to privately own and manage the business from Germany.

STIHL, Incorporated was established in 1974 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the first STIHL plant in the United States. In 1992 STIHL, Inc. appointed Fred Whyte, previous president of STIHL, Limited in Canada, as the president of American operations at Virginia Beach. Prior to his tenure with STIHL, Inc. Whyte had worked for 10 years for STIHL, Ltd. Since STIHL began its operations in the United States, it has become the number one selling brand of handheld power tools in America and continues to grow. Between their high quality products, onsite service technicians, and eco-friendly ambition to make their products clean and quiet STIHL has gained an unparalleled amount of customer loyalty.

So what landed Fred Whyte, the president of STIHL Incorporated, on the campus of Montana State University Billings on March 23? As the co-author of the book titled Distribution Trap, Dean Tim Wilkinson of the College of Business became interested in the STIHL Company when a student pointed out an ad placed in the Wall Street Journal. The ad stated that their products would never be found in a “big box” store, a statement the company is adamant about. With the combination of student interest and a proactive dean from the College of Business, STIHL was introduced to MSUB.

Whyte’s visit brought five seminars about the company’s success and business model, offered at various times and locations across campus. As a wildland firefighter myself, I could not help but want to talk with the president of the company that we use so much. I was able to attend his morning seminar in the library followed by another seminar held in the College of Business later in the afternoon. Whyte’s attention to detail in the world of business and his overall genuine interest in customer satisfaction reflects the company’s well-respected reputation.

In closing, Whyte offered this bit of advice for the students of MSUB: “The freeway to success has many on ramps, take opportunities as they present themselves.”