Hardware Podcasts

STL: The SawStop Bandsaw with CEO Matt Howard

Shop Talk Live · 25 Sept 2026 · 53m

What this episode covers

Matt Howard, CEO of SawStop (now part of Festool North America), discusses the launch of the SawStop Professional Bandsaw, which integrates Sensic safety technology to stop the blade in milliseconds upon contact. He details the engineering challenges, including the sacrificial cartridge system, tool-free blade changes, and advanced guide adjustments designed to make maintenance easier and faster. The conversation also covers SawStop's history, from Steve Gass's invention in a barn to its acquisition by Festool, and the strategic integration of Shaper Tools into the Festool brand to expand distribution and ecosystem integration.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
SawStop, Festool, Shaper Tools
Products
SawStop Professional Bandsaw, Revolution Miter Gauge, Shaper Origin, Bench Pilot
Also
Sensic

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