Obituary: Fred Whyte, former Stihl president

Fred Whyte, former president of Stihl, passed away on Friday, July 7, at the age of 70 after battling an aggressive form of cancer.

Whyte was surrounded by his family at his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at the time of his death.

He had served the company for more than 45 years -- 23 of which were spent leading the company to success.

Whyte began his career with Stihl in 1971 as a regional manager for Stihl American, following in his father's footsteps.

After moving up the ranks, he led the company's expansion and operations in Canada at the age of 34. Then, in 1992, Whyte returned to the United States as president of Stihl Inc.

"During Whyte’s tenure as president, he led the company from a moderately-known brand to the number one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America," said the company in a statement.

Upon his retirement, he was named sole director and chairman of the Board of Directors for Stihl Inc., and he continued to influence company strategy worldwide from this post.



“We, and the larger Stihl family, are very saddened by the news of Fred’s passing,” said Bjoern Fischer, president of Stihl Inc. “He will be remembered for his extraordinary leadership, passion and personal connections he had with both his customers and his employees.”

Whyte also served as chairman of the board of directors for the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and president of the Portable Power Equipment Manufacturers Association (PPEMA).

In 2015, the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) recognized Whyte with the Frank Armstrong III Service Award for his contributions to the Virginia manufacturing sector and the association. He was also named honorary member of the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA). In 2016, Whyte was honored by the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates with a joint resolution outlining his successful tenure with Stihl Inc. 

He was a member of Old Dominion University’s Board of Visitors and served as rector from 2013-2014. He also served on the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Children’s Health Foundation Board of Directors.

During his retirement, Whyte stated, “I often say history is a great business teacher. And after working for more than four decades in this industry, I can confirm that substance wins out over style, every time.”