This year, Festool, a leader in precision-engineered and durable power tool solutions, is celebrating 100 years of innovation in tools for professional trades people. Festoon’s user-oriented, robust, and long-lasting line of power tools has evolved from the first portable chainsaw in the early 1930s to the groundbreaking ExoActive exoskeleton in 2024. The company will celebrate a century of revolutionary products and solutions over the course of 2025.
“Since 1925, we have revolutionized professional trade work with tools that are built better to help professionals build better,” said Clint Chapman, CEO of Festool North America. “Every new tool we design begins with a customer challenge and a commitment to innovate and build better solutions. This dedication is part of our company’s DNA, and we invite trades people to join us for the next one hundred years of growth and product evolution.”
100 years of history driven by a passion for the trades 
Portable Chainsaw – 1927.
Festool’s journey began in Germany in 1925 when Albert Fezer and Gottlieb Stoll founded a company to repair stationary wood processing machines. The duo quickly realized their expertise could go beyond repairs - they could build better machines. This dedication to quality and innovation led to groundbreaking products that continue to shape the industry.
First introduced as Fezer & Stoll, the company became Festo, and its power tool division later evolved into Festool. From the start, the company has focused on providing trades people with high-quality tools to make work better and more efficient. Through close collaboration with trade professionals, the company has consistently developed tools and systems tailored to the specific needs of the trade and invites professionals to join them for the next 100 years of innovation.
Built for the toughest customer demands
Portable Circular Saw – 1930.
Following the launch of its breakthrough portable chainsaw in 1927, Festool introduced the SB126, the first portable circular saw for carpenters in 1930, setting the stage for decades of innovation. In 1966, Festool revolutionized sanding with the introduction of the first orbital sander, replacing tedious and time-consuming work with a more efficient solution. This game-changing tool led to the development of the world’s first dust extraction system to prioritize the health and safety of trades people and their customers. The 1960s also brought forth the introduction of Festool’s guide rail, now an essential tool in the trades worldwide.
Festool continued to establish its name in the industry with pioneering products like the ROTEX in 1979, the first geared random orbit sander in the world to combine coarse sanding, fine sanding, and polishing in a single tool. In 1993, the company launched the legendary Systainer, a versatile storage, organization, and transportation system that remains an industry standard and is now available in 185 different versions.
ExoActive exoskeleton – 2024
Entering the 2000s, Festool continued to push boundaries with products like the DOMINO wood joining system (2006), the PLANEX LHS 225 drywall sander with adjustable vacuum suction (2008), and the cordless CSC SYS 50 table saw in Systainer Format (2023). Most recently, the ExoActive exoskeleton showcases the company’s commitment to ergonomic advancements; as Festool’s customers’ needs and wants evolved, so did the brand’s product portfolio.
Beyond its power tool solutions, Festool is dedicated to ensuring occupational health and safety. The company has introduced innovative technologies like KickbackStop and the Vibration Control System to enhance safety for trades people. By combining precision engineering and a drive for innovation, Festool continues to redefine what’s possible.
“The fact that so many of our products and innovations have left their mark on professional trades in the past one hundred years is something we are really proud of,” said Barbara Austel, chair of the Festool Supervisory Board and granddaughter of founder Gottlieb Stoll. “Primarily, we want to use the occasion of our anniversary to say thank you: thank you to our employees and to the many customers who have supported us through the years.”
Festool will celebrate its anniversary throughout 2025 with limited-edition releases and exclusive versions of select products that have played an important role in the company history.
For more information about Festool’s 100-year anniversary and Festool’s history of innovation, visit: www.festoolcanada.com/festool100.
