Thomas Feldheim (41) set the course for his true dream job—joiner—quite late in life. Before beginning a joinery apprenticeship at the age of 29, he completed training as a forester. However, because jobs in that field were scarce, he decided to pursue a joinery apprenticeship. Even at that time, he had the idea, or rather the desire, to first become a master craftsman and then start his own business. The proactive master joiner then put both plans into action and, after successfully passing his master craftsman's examination in Magdeburg, founded his own company on August 1, 2014.

"Started from Scratch"

In another unconventional move, he spent his first years as an entrepreneur working as a "freelance joiner." This means the young business owner worked in the workshops of fellow joiners, either for them or on his own account. "I took on any job that came my way and learned a great, great deal during that time," comments Thomas Feldheim. And, he adds, "Whenever there was money left over, I bought high-quality tools." During this period, while still without his own workshop, the master joiner hired an apprentice and a journeyman in 2021.

In the autumn of 2021, Feldheim took over a joinery in Burg, near Magdeburg, which had already closed due to a lack of a successor. However, nearly two years passed before the deal could be finalized. That's how long it took for the banks to approve the comprehensive business plan, which Thomas Feldheim had created with his sister Carolin, and to release the funds.

Then, he and his small team worked flat out, renovating the workshop piece by piece alongside their demanding day-to-day business. At the same time, he invested in a completely new fleet of machines. Thomas Feldheim chose the Felder Group as his technology partner. He ordered a sliding table saw, spindle moulder, planer-thicknesser, wide-belt sander, vertical panel saw, and a CNC machining center from the Felder branch in Leipzig. The Austrian machine manufacturer also supplied the matching dust extraction system. Later, Thomas Feldheim purchased a used Format4 edgebander.

A Diversified Joinery

The joinery has been producing in this workshop since January 1, 2023. Starting with a team of three, Thomas Feldheim now employs two journeymen and two apprentices, and is training a young man as part of a cooperative training program. Thomas's sister, Carolin Feldheim, is also increasingly active in the joinery's administration in a variety of roles as a "Creative All-Rounder" (as per her business card and email signature).

Thomas Feldheim is pleased: "Our order book is excellent; there's a lot to do." He has deliberately positioned his joinery with a broad portfolio. The company designs and produces furniture and interior fixtures, as well as stairs, patio roofs, doors, gates, and carports. The joinery also offers the professional refurbishment of furniture, windows, and doors. Feldheim deliberately sources windows and front doors from fellow joiners in the region.

The joinery processes approximately 50% panel materials and 50% solid wood and veneer. The company does not yet do its own finishing; Thomas Feldheim currently outsources this work to a colleague. However, that is set to change in the future, as a dedicated finishing room is already being planned.

High-Performance Standard Machines

High-performance standard machines have become indispensable in the daily workshop routine—in other words, they are essential all-rounders for virtually any task. Thomas Feldheim has equipped all his machines with a variety of clever technical features that ensure consistently high precision and flexibility.

Examples include the outrigger table and the X-Motion control package on the Format4 profil 45 Z X-Motion spindle moulder, and the Silent-Power cutterblock in both the surface planer and thicknesser, which has found true fans in Thomas Feldheim and his team: "The finish from the planer is amazing."

Software: The Course is Set

When it comes to digitalization, the joinery still has room for improvement, but the first important steps have already been taken. For the efficient design of furniture, including controlling the 3-axis CNC machining center, Thomas Feldheim recently purchased Truncad software. He and his team still need to integrate it into their workflow. Currently, the CNC machine is programmed manually directly at the machine control in the workshop. The master joiner has also decided to purchase the industry-specific software Pinncalc. These two digital tools are intended to gradually optimize the processes in his joinery and ensure even greater efficiency. However, the master joiner acknowledges that implementing such software projects alongside daily business is a real challenge in terms of time. But he also knows that the end result will be significantly more transparency and efficiency across the entire process, from design to production. His sister Carolin will provide active support during the implementation.

Optimistic and Full of Ideas for the Future

For Thomas Feldheim, there are no problems, only challenges. His motto: "If I do something, I want to do it right." His goal: He is looking to the future with great optimism and wants to continue growing with a broad portfolio. "The goal is to have five to six journeymen." Carolin Feldheim adds: "We also want to increase our brand awareness. And in our original business plan, we wrote down some very exciting ideas that we still plan to pursue." One example is the concept of a DIY workshop, where courses would be offered and ambitious hobbyists could receive expert support for their various woodworking projects.