Waiblingen, 6/30/2022 | Company press release
Andreas Epple to become new Managing Director of the STIHL sales headquarters in Germany
On January 1, 2023, Andreas Epple will become Managing Director of STIHL Vertriebszentrale AG & Co. KG, the German sales headquarters of the STIHL Group based in Dieburg. He succeeds Heribert Benteler, who will retire at the end of 2022. Epple has been at STIHL in Dieburg for 10 years, where he is Head of Department for Marketing and Sales. Norbert Pick, STIHL Executive Board Member for Marketing and Sales, enthuses: “We are delighted to have been able to recruit Mr. Epple, an expert from our own ranks, for the Managing Director position. His experience and knowledge of the German market make him the ideal person to continue the successful path of STIHL Germany and to further drive the development of the strategically important fields of e-commerce, digital transformation, and developing the authorized dealer network.”
Andreas Epple was born in Stuttgart in 1968. He is married and has three children. After completing his apprenticeship and earning his certification as a master craftsman for gas and plumbing installation and maintenance, he worked for Mütschele GmbH and Vaillant Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. In his most recent position at Vaillant, he was responsible for B2B sales and marketing for the Vaillant brand in Germany as well as financial management of the Sales department. He then joined the STIHL German sales headquarters in Dieburg in 2012. As Head of Marketing and Sales, Andreas Epple has since been responsible for field sales, in-house sales service, marketing, customer management, product management, and target group support. “I would like to thank the Executive Board and the Stihl family for the trust they have placed in me. I look forward to the challenge of building on the strong STIHL market position in Germany and actively shaping the digital transformation in partnership with the entire team in my role as Managing Director of the STIHL sales headquarters in Dieburg,” commented Andreas Epple.
Heribert Benteler has been the Managing Director of the STIHL sales headquarters in Dieburg since 2012. He joined the company in 1992 as the Head of Sales for VIKING (today known as STIHL Tirol) and Regional Sales Manager, West. Four years later, he was promoted to Head of Sales for Germany and Head of Department of Marketing and Sales. “In terms of revenue, STIHL Germany is our largest sales company in Europe. Mr. Benteler has played an instrumental role in this success. Under his leadership, the German sales headquarters’ revenue has doubled, reaching 471 million euros in 2021,” emphasized Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Supervisory Board of the STIHL Group. And STIHL Executive Board Member Norbert Pick adds: “Heribert Benteler has successfully expanded the cordless business in the German market: More than half of sales in Germany are currently accounted for by cordless products. This is outstanding in our corporate group.” Heribert Benteler, who has also been involved in business and commerce associations on a voluntary basis in addition to his work for the company for many years, emphasizes: “Taking on responsibility in a variety of functions at STIHL has been an honor and inspiration for me. I am particularly proud of the extraordinary team spirit of everyone who has worked at the STIHL sales headquarters over the years, especially in these complicated past three years. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you.”
The German sales headquarters site has expanded in line with business growth. The new logistics building and finished goods warehouse opened in July 2021, further enhancing the Dieburg sales headquarters’ logistics capabilities and capacity to deliver. Today STIHL employs a staff of more than 320 people in Dieburg.
