We just returned from Stuttgart, Germany, to visit Festool’s facilities and get a chance to experience the German culture. I have to give you full disclosure right off the bat – most of the tools we saw are due out for 2017, and while they’re exciting, we also can’t tell you about them just yet.
When you work with Festool tools, they’re at their best when working in a system with the tool, dust extractor, and accessories. Without a doubt, the biggest takeaway from the trip is how intentional Festool is in designing every piece of its equipment to create a harmonious user experience.
It all started with a 9-hour direct flight from Atlanta to Stuttgart. Our colleagues, including Chris Ermides from Tools of the Trade and Rob Robillard from A Concord Carpenter, arrived with connections. Despite the long travel day, they seemed no worse for wear. Admittedly, I couldn’t sleep a wink on the plane and wasn’t looking forward to roughly 33 hours before my head would be able to hit the pillow.
First up was lunch, followed by a walking tour of the town of Esslingen, where we were based for the week. The town has a ton of history dating back to the 1200s and as you can imagine, some incredible architecture. It was spared the worst of the two world wars and was left with no visible scars.
Kessler is the name you’ll find synonymous with the region’s wine production, and we visited their cellars before heading back to the hotel. An enjoyable glass of Hochgewächs Rosé sparkling wine (don’t call it champagne!) was in hand while we considered the vast stores of wine they produce each year.
We wrapped up with an evening meeting just to get an introduction and a brief history of the Festool brand. It was started by Gottlieb Stoll in 1925 and is still run by his granddaughter, whom we had the pleasure of meeting. Back in 2000, the Festool name was on its own in the power tool industry as Festo (also owned by family members of Mr. Stoll) pursued automation and engineering.
After dinner at the hotel, it was off to get some sleep and prepare to experience the tools.
