Festool ‘keeps it in the family’ for 90 years

Festool, a German manufacturer of power tools for woodworking, renovation, painting and more, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The company was founded in 1925 under the name Fezer & Stoll, which led to the brand name Festo and, ultimately, Festool. A tradition of innovation has produced sanders, routers, plunge-cut saws and other portable tool systems for professionals to work safer and with greater efficiency.

“The very first tool was a portable chainsaw so even then it was about taking the tool to the work, and still today that’s exactly what we do with our portable power tools is take our tools to the work,” Festool product manager Rick Bush says.

“One of the things I want to mention about our history is that it has stayed within the same family through its entire history. That says a lot right there. In a day where people turn their business over for a quick buck, we keep it in the family.”

Research and development is based at the company’s headquarters in Wendlingen, and a majority of the tools are manufactured in Neidlingen. Both facilities are near Stuttgart.

Festool has a network of specialized dealers in more than 80 countries and has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide. It holds about 350 patents and manufactures more than 14,500 different parts and components. Its latest innovation is the Conturo, a mobile edgebander that applies edging to contoured and straight components.

The anniversary is marked by Festool’s new all-inclusive protection program, providing a 36-month warranty, 10-year parts availability promise, 30-day money-back guarantee, 48-hour standard repair turnaround and long-term product support.

For information, visit www.festoolusa.com.

This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue.