Most tradespeople have been aware and fond of the Festool brand for decades and it had already become a cult brand. As part of the "Marken des Jahrhunderts" ("Brands of the Century") podcast series, Chair of the Supervisory Board Barbara Austel and CEO Sascha Menges discuss exactly what lies behind the brand, why innovations are crucial to it and how the brand manages to get its loyal fans raving about new products time and again. The podcast episode about Festool, recorded by Studios ZX – a subsidiary of ZEIT Verlag – is available on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming services.

"You don't get a strong brand just like that, it's the result of a lot of work over years and decades."

Sascha Menges, CEO

"The judging panel's decision to recognise Festool as a 'Brand of the Century' is a great honour for us and validates the path we have taken over the past few decades," says Barbara Austel, Chair of the Supervisory Board. From the outset, the Wendlingen-based power tool manufacturer's mission was to not only provide professional tradespeople with the right tools, but also to give them system solutions that always ensure safe and healthy work. In addition to protecting against hazardous dusts with effective cleaning solutions directly on the workpiece – thereby also protecting the air inhaled by and surrounding the user – the company also attaches great importance to innovative technologies that make day-to-day work easier and, above all, safer. "We aim to make tools that allow our customers to achieve results faster and more effectively. Ideally, they should also be having fun while they're working and be proud of the result – in short, we want to provide our customers with tools that they'll be raving about," explains Barbara Austel on the podcast.

"We want to make professional tradespeople successful and proud – that's our mission every day"

Barbara Austel, Chair of the Supervisory Board

Tasks like sanding, routing and sawing are an integral part of tradespeople's day-to-day work. This means that it is vital that they have tools that meet the highest requirements in any situation and in the long term. The fact that Festool has always taken ergonomics very seriously and generated real enthusiasm among its customers is reflected by the many positive opinions and memorable stories people have about the company. Tradition and innovation are not mutually exclusive and Festool is always coming up with new innovations that further advance aspects such as occupational health and safety, sustainability and digitalisation, as well as mobile, healthy and safe work. ZEIT Verlagsgruppe not only recognises Festool for its ideas, but also closely examines precisely what makes the brand special. As a result, the podcast offers some fascinating insights into the world of Festool.

"Innovations that always make our tradespeople better and give them a sparkle in their eye are the lifeblood of the company."

Sascha Menges

Tools that spark a passion from the outset

Starting with the invention of the first mobile chainsaw, Festool's long list of groundbreaking innovations that it has manufactured in-house includes circular saws, orbital sanders, ROTEX, eccentric sanders, the guide rail, routers and dust extraction using mobile dust extractors. In addition, the company currently holds over 475 patents.

"Our tools are developed by professionals for professionals – the Festool brand's DNA, strength and the key to success are our employees' enthusiasm, passion and expertise"

Sascha Menges

At Festool, new ideas are developed in collaboration with customers. Our application engineers go out into the world during the development phase and ask tradespeople about their requirements, current trends and any needs and requests they may have for their day-to-day work.

Passion leads to loyal customers

It is precisely this passion from employees for developing new products in partnership with test customers from trades that produces system solutions which, in turn, create loyal customers. "Customer loyalty is especially important to us and can't be taken as a given. It's something that is constantly put to the test. After all, loyalty doesn't just happen – it's the result of satisfaction. The brand makes a promise but what really matters is the customer experience – their interaction with the brand. We don't just want to meet our brand claim, it should always be exceeded. It's this enthusiasm and astonishment that leads to loyalty," notes Sascha Menges.

"It's fantastic to see how enthusiastically our customers talk about our brand and how strongly they identify with us."

Sascha Menges

Top quality – manufactured in Germany

From when the company was founded through to the present day, Festool has been committed to Germany as a location. It has production sites in Neidlingen and Illertissen, as well as a new assembly location in Weilheim an der Teck which was opened in 2021 – all of which are close to the company headquarters in Wendlingen in south western Germany. The company also appreciates the speed, integration and quality offered by Germany as a location. "Even recently, with the global disruption to supply chains, we've gained some advantages from this strategy. We manufacture around 80% of all Festool machines in Germany and that's a key aspect of our success," confirms Sascha Menges.

If you would like to find out more about the history, background, claims, innovations, trends and DNA of the Festool brand, listen to the "Marken des Jahrhunderts" ("Brands of the Century") podcast (in German). The podcast is available on all well-known platforms, such as Spotify, iTunes and other streaming services. Further information is provided in the Festool Blog

Festool also publishes two editions of both the fascinating WOOD and PAINT customer magazines every year. See festool.co.uk for more information.

Background information about the "Brand of the Century" award

As part of the prestigious "German Standards – Brands of the Century" awards organised by ZEIT Verlagsgruppe, selected long-established German companies are put into the limelight and honoured for their achievements. Festool was recognised in the "circular saw" brand category. In the "Marken des Jahrhunderts" ("Brands of the Century") podcast series produced by StudioZX, Chair of the Supervisory Board Barbara Austel and CEO Sascha Menges take a closer look into the following questions, among others: What makes Festool strong and future-proof? When does a brand become a cult brand? How can a company become more sustainable? And what role does health and safety play at work?

Background information about TTS Tooltechnic Systems AG & Co. KG

The TTS Group is a medium-sized family-owned company in its third generation with more than 3000 employees. With multiple subsidiaries under the same roof, the group, in particular with its brand Festool, has successfully established itself in the international power tools sector. Its other subsidiary brands include TANOS, narex, exoIQ, TTS Cleantec, TTS Microcell and ASPRO. The US subsidiaries SawStop and Shaper strengthen the expertise in the area of safety technology and digitalisation. The TTS Group's provisional core revenue for 2021 is EUR 876 million. The company is among the largest employers in the region of Esslingen and was recently awarded the titles of "Germany's Best Employer" and "Best Digital Champion" and Festool was also recognised as a "Brand of the Century".