170 years of KASTO: a southern German success story

Like many other large companies, KASTO comes from humble beginnings. In 1844, carpenter Karl Stolzer set up the company as a mechanical workshop in Achern, in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. The first few years were marked by a pioneering spirit and a rush of new ideas for various sectors. Initially, Stolzer focused on the manufacture of "machines with wooden constructions and iron-plated parts". The company manufactured products such as water wheels, weaving looms and paper and milling machines. With the construction of saw mills and later of saw mill plants, Karl Stolzer set the foundations for his company''s global success.

Upon Karl Stolzer''s death in 1891, his son Carl took over the leadership of the company. During the first few years, Carl Stolzer attended the still fairly new engineering school in Esslingen and began manufacturing rolling gang saws for sawing wood. His sons Karl and Friedrich Stolzer followed in his footsteps, sharing the company''s business segments between each another. Friedrich Stolzer managed the production of rolling gang saws and saw machines.

When he died in 1941, his wife Anna managed the company until their sons Friedrich and Paul had completed their training. When the two brothers joined the company, they decided to realign the business to focus on metal saws. With the invention of the hacksaw machine in 1947, KASTO took a vital step towards becoming a modern machine tool manufacturer. In 1952, the company presented its innovation at the Hanover Fair for the very first time, and achieved global success in the years to follow.

In the 1960s, circular saws were added to the hacksaw product range. With its move into series and volume cutting production, KASTO recognised the need to mechanise bar stock storage and material handling. At the beginning of the 1970s, KASTO introduced the first fully-automated bar stock storage system. This features a portal operating gantry crane for the handling and transport of self-supporting cassettes. Two circular saws, supplied by automated material magazines, were integrated into the storage system. This was the precursor of the first combined storage and sawing systems that KASTO manufactured from 1980 onwards.

Today, KASTO is the only company to offer all three sawing methods – hacksaws, circular saws and bandsaws – and its portfolio features optimal solutions in each of these three areas. With approximately 140,000 saws sold and over 1,700 storage systems installed as of present, this long-established company has achieved a leading global position. Production takes place exclusively in Germany, at the headquarters in Achern-Gamshurst and at the Schalkau site in Thuringia. For over 25 years, Armin Stolzer has been at the helm of this family business – now in its fifth generation – and has recently brought the sixth generation on board as well. With over 140 patents, KASTO is one of the most significant drivers of innovation in the industry. For now, this success story looks far from over.