Karl Weinmann, founder of the company and under whose name the company trades, looks noticeably serious and says, “there is no such thing as a bad experience”. Because each experience – whether it is experienced in a negative or positive way – was and is necessary for the process of development for the individual as well as a group. This approach refers to people as well as the company.
By 1985 Karl Weinmann had already been employed as a Development Engineer for some years. It was around this time he decided to leave the construction company with whom he was employed, to become self employed and remained so for three years. During this time, he kept in touch with his university friends Hansbert Ott and Alfred Schlegel. None of the three mechanical engineers had lost the vision of the their student years which was - to open an office together one day.
In 1985 the vision became reality, when Hansbert Ott came ‘on board’. The development process for Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH had begun, from being a two man team in the early days. By 1989 the company had grown into a successful team of ten. During these years, the company, which manufactured wood pallets - crowned this innovation with their own patent.
In 1989 a new packaging order came into force which had a direct effect on the situation regarding orders and sales for the Swabian engineers – a change of direction was necessary. The way towards development and a new perspective pointed to a handling technique for timber construction – which meant moving from the small carpentry business into the pre-fabricated building business.
Thanks to this change, within a few years Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH was again the front runner in innovation, because they had developed a machine for automatic nailing in timber construction. They were the first company to offer this and there by occupied the role of pioneer within the industry. By 1996 Weinmann was becoming the unquestionable market leader.
In 1998 the company was brought to the attention of the Homag Group. The world market leader was looking for another potential partner in the furniture industry to expand its equipment range in the pre-fabricated housing market with the emphasis on wood processing. Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH was identified and became a subsidiary of the Homag group. This also brought great advantages for the engineers themselves.
Thanks to this change, Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH was able to make the adjustment from being a medium sized company to an industrial manufacturer with international standing. They became a beneficiary of an existing world-wide marketing system, had more opportunities to test their innovations and were able to adapt to the market using organisational structures, which were already in place and which facilitated further growth.
In recent years, it became clear that Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH had entered a collapsing home market - due to economic change in Germany, connected with the sustained building crisis. The association with the internationally operating Homag Group proved useful. Today 80% of company turnover is abroad with the remaining 20% in the home market. In 1998 the ratio was the exact opposite.
The export side is expanding even further – as well as the European Market and a strengthening Russian market, there is also an increase in the USA. Eastern European countries and North America have a one hundred year old tradition of building in timber, which also benefits the company.
In order to accelerate business in the home market, the company is focusing and targeting the ‘new old’ group of carpenters. Even the smallest businesses now expect an increase in their timber construction. Despite the building crisis there is a visible sign of growth and the need for reliable portable machinery. Standard machines are available and are offered in various sizes and set-ups, plus being able to build specially manufactured machines for almost any individual request not only for the craftsman but also for the industry.
Today Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH employs about 180 permanent staff. In 2008 a turnover of Euro 40 million was reached.
Running parallel with the operational business, the company takes part in various high profile development projects, which advance the timber construction in every respect both economically and ecologically. Well known research partners are for example, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the Technical University of Munich, the Universities of Stuttgart and Braunschweig and the Fachhochschule Rosenheim to name but a few, are evidence of the highly skilled work of Weinmann Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH.
On the question of goals and visions for the future, we consider the answer lies in world-wide market leadership, which had been reached before the merger of two of our Swedish competitors based in Europe. The will to shape and the desire for further advancement guarantees this plan. In addition, location as well as security of jobs, development and training are the goals being achieved including planning for the future – which is the natural course.
The company has its headquarters in St. Johann-Lonsingen in the Swabian Alps (south of Stuttgart) and today is still headed by the two Managing Directors, Karl Weinmann (research and development, production, stock control and finance) and Hansbert Ott (sales, marketing, service and personnel). This innovative and creative duo look confidently to the future – and despite the economic downturn - look forward to increased growth and returns for 2010.
To conclude, because a company consists of more than data, figures and facts, we return to the original statement made by Karl Weinmann. He emphasises, that his life’s work is to put himself in situations where his experiences can be applied. These experiences produce results that can be seen and demonstrated, thus creating the development process. Karl submits himself and the company to this process, with the people at the centre.