“Hoch lebe unsere Spenglerkunst” means loosely translated, “Long live our metal roofing art.” Mind if we toot our horn and describe what that trade entails?
Is there a more difficult trade / job in the world than that of a metal roof master? Let’s itemize some of the traits, skills and tolerances necessary to do the job:
Need to be an engineer- Need to be an artist
- Need a post graduate level of schooling with residency training akin to a specialized surgeon in the U.S.
- Need to be physically very strong
- Need to be unafraid of heights and generally fearless
- Need to be able to tolerate working in both frigid and sweltering temperatures and in wind, rain and snow. Working on a metal roof in the summer, the metal can heat up to several hundred degrees! In winter, it gets more slippery than an Olympic ice rink…while on a slope! Working on a metal roof in extreme weather is no joke!
- Need exceptional math skills
- Need to be able to run a business and possess organizational skills
- Need technical problem solving skills
- Need to possess communication skills and be able to teach others
- Need to be a consistent innovator and developer
It is no wonder there are so few metal roofing and cladding experts in the world. It would be a rare occurrence indeed to bump into one at your local shopping mall or encounter one at the post office or have one as your next door neighbor. The trade is uncommon, and experts are in scarce supply.
Erno really is that strong!
What’s a more demanding job you can think of? Astronaut? They at least get a temperature controlled suit! And while a lot is on the line with regard to bravery and problem solving, they don’t necessarily need to be artists. In order to succeed as a metal roofer, you must be a Renaissance Man / Woman but with the physicality and dauntlessness of a Red Bull competitor.
Our company president is one of these unbelievably, diversely talented individuals. Though he is much friendlier than he looks in the photo below, here he is in a picture taken several years ago showing his masters’ clothing specific to his trade specialty. Steeped in both symbolism and practicality (historic detail down to the belt buckle abounds) here in the New World the uniform is a bit of a conversation starter:
Each trade has its own particular uniform. One may only wear this uniform if one is a bona fide master in Germany. In the same vein as impersonating a police officer, great consequences await those who violate this mandate. Germany takes its rules and education seriously and is generally passionate about safety and quality…which is why in part as a culture they are so known for their engineering and work ethic.
One of the degrees our president holds is called the Meisterbrief. It is the largest, most beautiful graduation diploma I’ve ever seen. This is what it looks like:
To secure this post graduate degree, one must put in “residency hours” just like in the medical field along with a grueling and competitive four year educational curriculum punctuated by a final exam with a daunting 50% fail rate. To put himself through school with tuition rivaling an Ivy League price tag, Erno drove a truck after school and trade work surviving on only a few hours of sleep each night. And he graduated debt free. That’s a work ethic! That is discipline!
The Meisterbrief, the highest trades engineering degree in Germany, is composed of four parts:
-Trade Theory
The science and engineering based off of 2,000 years of trade history into modern developments
-Trade Applications
The physical, practical applications and work skills behind the science
-Business and Accounting
To effectively manage a business once the degree is earned
-Pedagogy
To teach others the trade and offer consult assistance for ancillary colleagues
We walk the walk. We know exactly every detail you go through in your work and have solutions for everything.
And that’s just one of the degrees this man possesses! If degrees and accreditations were medals worn on the daily, he’d look like a 20 star General at a knighting ceremony!
The point of this is, we understand every aspect of what you are dealing with because we’ve been there before. We truly are aware of what you need in a very difficult industry and we are sure to have all your solutions.
To all our industry colleagues out there, we salute you for being awesome! Let’s keep working together to make the world a better place. Anything we can do to help, just let us know! We know what you’re dealing with on a daily basis like no one else. We are real help when you need it!
And to the designers who’d like to spec systems with knowledgeable people power behind them, we are your undisputed and unrivaled source for all things metal roof and wall!
Hoch lebe unsere Spenglerkunst!
Call us today! 801-462-5264
No one else understands you like we do.