I have rarely seen a workshop as well-structured and organized as that of the Gratzer joinery. A remarkable machine park can be found on a compact 500 m2 and it seems as if everything truly has its designated place – from concealed hinges to tools and handheld machines, right down to the hearing protection.
Master joiner Johannes Gratzer, who runs the business he founded in 1997 together with his wife Anja (also a master joiner and a business management specialist for craft trades): “Order, ergonomics, and system are very important to us. We have a four-day week, but every first Friday of the month is ‘Workshop Friday.’ Then we maintain our machines, clean up, undergo further training, or work together on small and large optimization projects.” When he says ‘we,’ that means: All three employees
(including an apprentice) as well as Johannes and Anja Gratzer themselves. Incidentally, both of them also work full-time in the workshop.
When the master joiner talks about his team, you notice immediately: There's a family atmosphere here. Everyone knows each other well and for a long time, and they appreciate one another. Johannes Gratzer: “We all communicate as equals here and can always rely on each other.”
Confident All-Rounders
The joinery does almost everything that comes up – predominantly for private customers: furniture, stairs, interior fittings, or even repairing a chair that has come unglued. Gratzer tells me that the order books are very full and there is plenty to do. They prefer to focus on a radius of up to about 10 km. Gratzer doesn't advertise; recommendations from satisfied customers ensure plenty of work and orders. Johannes Gratzer: “We don’t do price negotiations. That would mean we overcharge in the first place, just to give a discount in the end.”
Flexible Technology for Every Need
In terms of production technology, the joinery is perfectly equipped for processing panels, as well as veneer and solid wood. This is ensured not only by a great team but also by a well-thought-out mix of high-performance standard machines and a CNC processing center.
When the time came to invest in a new edgebander six years ago, they first came into contact with the Felder Group. This left such a good and professional impression on Johannes and Anja Gratzer that a very close and cooperative partnership developed. Further investments in machines from the Felder Group followed: a Format4 Kappa 590 X-Motion sliding table panel saw (swiveling on both sides), a Format4 Dual 51 combined jointer-planer with a Silent-Power cutterblock, a Felder FW 1102 wide-belt sander, and finally a Format4 Profit H 200 R CNC processing center.
On the software side, Gratzer also relies on products from the Felder Group. Planning is done with Format4 Platinum as the CAD system, and the connection to the processing center is handled by the F4 Integrate CNC software. “Everything works great and is straightforward,” the dedicated master joiner says happily.
Johannes Gratzer is a board member of the Munich Joiners' Guild. In this capacity, he also gives TSM courses.
Polite, Punctual, Reliable
Anja and Johannes Gratzer and their team start each day together at 7:00 a.m. with a coffee in the break room. “This ritual is important: We discuss everything that is on the agenda for the day and needs to be organized, or anything else that is important. This way, everyone is always well-informed. And if there’s nothing to discuss, we simply enjoy our coffee together,” the master joiner tells me.
When I ask Johannes Gratzer what challenges he sees for the future, he replies immediately: “Bureaucracy gives us craftsmen an extremely hard time. It can’t and shouldn’t go on like this. And of course, it’s important to attract and retain good employees. We do a lot for that here. Otherwise, we live our values both internally and externally: We are polite, punctual, and reliable.”
