Festo Celebrates 100 Years of Innovation in Motion
This year, Festo marks an extraordinary milestone — 100 years of innovation, quality and forward-thinking automation solutions. From our humble beginnings as a woodworking machine company in 1925, we’ve transformed into a global powerhouse in automation technology with over $3.7 billion in revenue and 20,000 employees worldwide.
A Century of Transformation
The journey to becoming an automation leader continued in 1950 when pneumatics technology was brought from the U.S. to Germany, establishing Festo as a pioneer in factory automation. This vision continued as the company focused on international expansion, building the global presence we enjoy today with operations in more than 60 countries.
“Festo is the work of many hands,” was founder Gottlieb Stoll’s guiding principle — a philosophy that still drives our approach to management and innovation. This collaborative spirit has allowed us to evolve from a woodworking machine manufacturer to a comprehensive automation solution provider, offering both pneumatic and electrical systems.
Currently, we supply pneumatic and electrical automation technology to 300,000 customers of factory and process automation in over 35 industries.
Innovation as a Driving Force
Creating value through innovation has been at our core from the beginning. We’ve consistently invested roughly 7% of our annual revenue in research and development, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in automation technology.
This commitment was on full display at the recent Hannover Messe fair, where we unveiled our “Incredible Machine” exhibit, capturing the attention of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other dignitaries, such as Stéphane Dion, during their tour of the Festo booth. Based on the principle of a Rube Goldberg machine, this exhibit tells the story of movement in automation technology — a narrative that has defined our journey.
Set in motion by an eMotion Butterfly, the machine demonstrates our diverse competencies across multiple industries, from battery production for electric vehicles to laboratory automation in life sciences.
Education and Sustainability: Pillars for the Future
As we look to the future, we’ve embraced sustainability through our “Blue World” initiative, which aims to make industrial production more efficient and climate-friendly. “Looking forward, Festo recognizes the overwhelming need to lower carbon emissions and to become more sustainable,” said Dr. Wilm Uhlenbecker, who stepped into the role of North American Business Region CEO on April 1st.
We’ve also maintained a long-standing commitment to workforce development since 1965, when we established Festo Didactic as an independent division. Now a world leader in technical education, Festo Didactic actively collaborates with community colleges to align training programs with industry demands, ensuring the next generation of technicians masters the skills most critical to success.
To learn more, please read our press release.