Stephen Ballenger Named VP of Operations at STIHL Inc.

Words: Dan KamysSTIHL Inc. welcomes Stephen Ballenger as the new VP of operations in the United States. Ballenger will be responsible for all production operations at the corporate headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va., where the company produces more than 275 models of handheld outdoor power equipment. He will direct manufacturing, engineering, materials and procurement, logistics, buildings, maintenance and quality assurance activities. [caption id="attachment_12700" align="alignnone" width="1024"]STIHL Inc. has named Stephen Ballenger as the new vice president of operations. STIHL Inc. has named Stephen Ballenger as the new vice president of operations.[/caption] Ballenger has more than 30 years of engineering and manufacturing expertise and leadership experience, most recently serving as president of Light Vehicles USA for Metalsa in Elizabethtown, Ky. Previous leadership experience includes positions at Carl Zeiss, Hella and a 15-year career with Bosch North America. Ballenger has an M.S. degree in industrial management and a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University. For more information on STIHL Inc., visit www.stihlusa.com.  
GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More