(BPT) - The old saying goes that "a worker is only as good as their tools." Keeping the everyday needs of professional tradespeople top of mind, Festool has been innovating for the past 100 years. Since its founding in Germany, and with a quarter century in North America as an industry leader in precision-engineered, durable power tool solutions, Festool ensures that tradespeople have the best tools possible to help them succeed.
"Since 1925, we have been creating tools designed to help professionals build better," said Clint Chapman, CEO of Festool North America. "We collaborate with tradespeople to uncover their greatest needs, using those insights to drive every innovation and every solution."
Celebrating its global 100th anniversary this year, as well as its 25th anniversary providing North America with cutting-edge products, Festool continues to use its ingenuity to design tools to solve problems and streamline work processes that are more efficient and safer for the tradespeople who rely on them.
Built for tough customer demands
One hundred years ago, Albert Fezer and Gottlieb Stoll founded a company that repaired stationary wood processing machines. They quickly realized they could use their expertise to build better machines, and focused on providing tradespeople with high-quality tools to help them work better and more efficiently.
For over a century, the brand has consistently developed tools and systems tailored to those workers' specific needs. And for over two decades, Festool has brought that to the North America region as well.
Revolutionary firsts in professional tools
Some of Festool's remarkable milestones include tools that have since become essential to tradespeople everywhere. Here are some highlights:
Creation of cutting-edge tools
- The breakthrough portable chainsaw invented by Festool in 1927, establishing the foundation for portable power tools.
- The first portable circular saw for carpenters was built in 1930, setting the stage for decades of innovation.
- The first orbital sander created in 1966, RTS-S, replaced tedious, time-consuming work with a more efficient solution. It also introduced the world's first dust extraction system to prioritize health and safety.
- The 1960s also saw the introduction of Festool's guide rail, now an essential tool in trades worldwide.
- In 1970 the ROTEX became the first geared random orbit sander in the world to combine coarse sanding, fine sanding and polishing in a single tool.
- The legendary Systainer, a versatile storage, organization and transportation system created in 1993, remains an industry standard, now available in 185 different versions.
- Festool continued to push the boundaries with products like the DOMINO wood joining system in 2006, the PLANEX LHS 225 drywall sander with adjustable vacuum suction in 2008 and the cordless CSC SYS 50 table saw in Systainer Format in 2023.
Drive for tradesperson efficiency, health and safety
- Recently, Festool's ExoActive exoskeleton was designed to provide under-the-arm support for professionals, making work on walls or ceilings easier, showcasing the company's commitment to ergonomic advancements.
- Further ensuring occupational health and safety, the company introduced innovative technologies like KickbackStop, an accessory that detects tool jams or kickbacks and stops the motor to prevent injury, and the Vibration Control System, an electronic function that actively monitors and reduces vibrations for more comfortable sanding.
- SYS-AIR Air Filter released in 2025 sets a new standard for air quality by effectively capturing airborne dust, using a powerful two-stage filter system that aggressively cleans air by removing even the tiniest dust particles for enhanced air quality.
Combining precision engineering and a drive for innovation, Festool builds on its legacy as it continues to redefine what's possible for tradespeople.
"So many of our products have left their mark on the professional trades over the past 100 years, but we're continuing to grow and innovate," said Chapman. "Celebrating our anniversary means not simply reflecting on a century of originality, but turning to the future, asking what problems we can solve for tradespeople now and into the next century."
