The carpentry business quickly became a manufacturing company for machines that utilized the water power of the streams in the Black Forest. With the construction of sawmills and later sawmills, Karl Stolzer laid the foundations for the company's continued success. After his death in 1891, his son Carl took over the management of the company. Carl Stolzer attended the first years of the still young mechanical engineering school in Esslingen and manufactured full roller frames for sawing wood in his company. He was succeeded by his son Friedrich Stolzer, who further developed the production of full roller frames and sawmill equipment and was awarded an imperial patent for this development.

The step to becoming a modern machine manufacturer

Friedrich Stolzer died in 1941, whereupon his wife Anna ran the company until their sons Friedrich and Paul had completed their apprenticeships. When the two brothers joined the company, the company was gradually reoriented towards the metal sawing division. Paul Stolzer's invention of the hacksaw machine in 1947 marked the decisive step towards becoming a modern machine tool manufacturer. In the following years, numerous other developments were made, such as circular and band saws as well as cassette and cantilever bearings for long products, the basic features of which still exist today.

The current managing partner Armin Stolzer joined the company in 1984. Even at a young age, he gained experience with extensive large-scale projects, drove the further development of technologies and was responsible for the introduction of the first CAD system at Kasto in 1986, among other things. He also worked directly on machine designs and maintained customer contacts on construction sites and during service calls. During the two major economic crises in the early 1990s and late 2000s, Armin Stolzer proved to be a reliable helmsman who successfully maneuvered the company through rough waters.

Today, he is actively supported by his wife Ruth Stolzer. A fully qualified lawyer, she previously worked as a judge and is now responsible for the areas of law, human resources and a wide range of administrative tasks, as well as for several foreign branches. Together, they have set up the Armin and Ruth Stolzer Foundation, which is committed to social projects, pre-school and school education and technical developments.

The next generation in management

The next generation has also been at the helm at Kasto for several years as part of the management team: Nicole Krebber-Stolzer and her husband Sönke Krebber both trained as engineers at Darmstadt Technical University and share the technical areas such as purchasing, production, assembly, research and development, logistics and plant maintenance between them. Stephanie Riegel-Stolzer has been with the company since 2011 and, like her husband Jonathan Riegel, has a Master's degree in business administration from the University of St. Gallen. They are responsible for the areas of service, marketing, finance, controlling and internal IT and have also divided responsibility for sales and the foreign branches between themselves and Ruth and Armin Stolzer. This means that even 175 years after it was founded, Kasto is still firmly in family hands.

This fact is also reflected in the company philosophy, which is characterized by flat hierarchies and open doors. A high level of social responsibility towards employees and their families is a matter of course at Kasto. The company intensively promotes vocational training and offers many junior employees attractive development opportunities. The Kasto management also actively promotes the advancement of women in technical professions. Regular celebrations and events for employees improve the sense of togetherness and create a feeling of belonging - an important element in ensuring that the Kasto family business remains successful in the future.