Timon Kaple was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio and began playing guitar at the age of eleven. He played in several folk/blues bands in Youngstown and has developed a personal sound and style. Kaple's interest in performing led him to one of the finest music institutions in the nation, Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Timon recently graduated from Berklee with a Bachelors Degree in Professional Music.

Kaple has been rocking the house since he was in high school and is an instant pick by his colleagues to make it big one day. He plays in and around the Boston area with a few bands, but is also pursuing a career as a soloist. In addition to performing solo, Timon is the lead guitarist in the Boston-based bands Eric Michael and The Makers and Christie Leigh and The Crooked Hearts (a finalist in the 2007 American Idol Songwriting Contest).

His influences are blues based, made up of mostly guitarists: Julien Kasper, Doc Watson, John Scofield, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Kelly Joe Phelps, Freddie King, B.B. King and The Band.

Timon's STIHL Connection
Becoming involved in STIHL's newest promotion was, perhaps, fate for Timon. The timber business has been in his blood line for more than 100 years.

In 1896, Ben Kaple, Timon's great grandfather, a New Washington, Ohio farmer, accepted a white oak log as payment for some livestock he had sold. When he, in turn, sold the log to the local sawmill, he was surprised at the value he received. Ben then began to investigate the logging business.

What was to follow Ben's ambition was a 100-year-old logging and sawmill business that passed through three generations of family members adhering to Ben's principles of working hard, treating people fairly and respecting the earth and its resources. Kaple Lumber ultimately grew into one of the top hardwood producing sawmills in Ohio, producing four million board feet annually.

The logging industry is very demanding on both man and machine. Kaple Lumber placed a high priority on purchasing and maintaining dependable equipment to avoid costly down time and increase employee safety by diminishing fatigue and frustration. When Kaple Lumber started using STIHL chain saws for their felling and bucking operations, they found the ideal working partner.

The company found STIHL products to be dependable and rugged, yet easy to operate. An independent STIHL dealer was located within 20 minutes of the Kaple Lumber site. M & M Sales and Service of Ashland, Ohio proved a valuable partner to the logging operation by keeping parts inventory well-stocked and providing outstanding service. Kaple Lumber was recently sold, but the Kaple association with STIHL now continues through Timon.

The same ambition to succeed that Ben Kaple carried into three generations drives Timon to be the best. He knows the fruits of his family's labors have been bestowed upon him and their spirit resonates through his fingers. STIHL is proud to welcome Timon Kaple to its family to promote the number one selling brand of cut-off machine in the world.