Steve Bullman

Eva Mayr-Stihl, a businesswoman, philanthropist and dedicated entrepreneur passed away on the 9th April 2022. Mayr-Stihl was instrumental in the success of STIHL and spent 33 years guiding the family-owned business as a member of its senior management team. Throughout her many years of service on the Advisory Board and the Supervisory Board, she kept close watch over the strategic direction of the company. Mayr-Stihl joined her father’s company in 1960, and with her educational background in business administration and linguistics, she took on responsibility for advertising and market research at the family-owned enterprise. Her expertise and drive to assume a leading role at the company quickly bore fruit when she and her three siblings were made limited partners in 1961. Two years later, her father gave her the power to represent the firm and enter into transactions on its behalf. After her father’s death in 1973, Mayr-Stihl became Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Management, placing her in charge of finance and controlling starting in 1975. With a keen sense of responsibility toward society and a sustainable world, the second mainstay in Mayr-Stihl’s life was her work as a philanthropist. In 1986, she and her husband Robert Mayr established the Andreas Stihl Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that would be renamed the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in 2004. The foundation was set up to finance projects in the fields of animal welfare, education, science, research, the arts, and culture. Today, the institution supports a variety of programs, including an endowed professorship for forest genetics at the University of Freiburg and a research group on recyclable material cycles. On 11th November 2009, Mayr-Stihl received the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Social Market Economy Award at St. Paul’s church in Frankfurt am Main. In 2011, she received the 1st Class Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and became the first woman to receive the key to the city of Waiblingen. In 2019, Mayr-Stihl was named an Honorary Senator of the University of Freiburg. The people of STIHL and their families are deeply saddened by the death of Mayr-Stihl.

STIHL has extended its range of cordless brushcutters with the launch of the RGA 140, the first tool in the STIHL AP System dedicated for use with the STIHL RG cutting head, enabling maintenance workers, landscapers and groundskeepers to cut weeds and grass with ease in sensitive areas. Taking inspiration from the popular FSA 135 brushcutter and RG gearbox, the new RGA 140 features oscillating disc blades with low rotational energy, enabling low-spin mowing on hard surfaces and around fragile obstacles such as cars or greenhouses. Not only does this reduce the risk of flicking stones but, due to its low spin mowing and tailored RPM, the new brushcutter also reduces the safety distances to 3m from objects and 5m from people, making the tool ideal for use in built-up areas. The RGA 140 also boasts a 230mm cutting diameter and ergonomic controls. Featuring a quiet EC motor with three-speed settings and a clear LED display, users can continuously regulate the speed in order to work as efficiently as possible. In addition, the new brushcutter utilises a bike handle for well-balanced operation, offering comfortable use for professionals, particularly over long periods of time. Part of the AP System, the RGA 140 is compatible with STIHL's Smart Connector 2 A and features a mounting point on the tool housing, facilitating effective and timely maintenance, as well as increased productivity and reduced downtime. This model provides professionals with a long service life thanks to its sturdy motor housing, mesh air filter, and robust gearbox. Working time with the recommended AP 300 S battery is up to 100 minutes. For more information on STIHL’s extensive range of brushcutters, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

Many of you within the arboricultural industry will have known Dave Hornby who sadly died 2 years ago. Dave was responsible for training many workers in climbing and chain saw usage over a long period. In conjunction with the Forestry Commission at Kielder, family, friends and colleagues have arranged for a tree planting ceremony in Dave’s memory. This will take place at Falstone near Kielder where Dave was based for many years. The planting will take place at 2pm on Saturday 7th May adjacent to Falstone Village Hall. The Forestry Commission are kindly arranging a display of vintage chain saws and vehicles. Anyone who knew Dave is very welcome to attend. If you require any further details please contact Mike Jackson – [email protected],com.