Franz Ahollinger (37), together with his team of eleven, including five master carpenters, delivers the finest joinery craftsmanship, meeting the highest standards of quality and functionality across a workshop area of approximately 1600 m2. A master carpenter with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics, he took over the business—founded by his great-grandfather in 1925—from his father, Franz, about two years ago. Both his father and his mother, Hannelore, still actively support the company.
The master carpenter's motto is: "We produce as much as possible ourselves in our workshop." A large portion of their orders comes from an affluent private clientele. Examples include complete furnishings for exclusive chalets, high-end kitchens, and, on a regular basis, sophisticated installations for medical practices, including reception counters. The workshop generally does not produce windows and stairs in-house. It is very important to Franz Ahollinger to always be available for his clients—even on Saturdays and Sundays.
His team of carpenters is proficient in both panel processing and working with solid wood and veneer. The machinery lineup is correspondingly versatile and high-performance. In addition, the company possesses a very high level of expertise in surface finishing. One employee is dedicated exclusively to achieving a high-quality finish on the exceptionally exclusive, one-of-a-kind furniture and interior fittings.
A dedicated and competent team of carpenters
Franz Ahollinger is well aware of his team's competencies: "We depend on each and every one of our employees. They all play an indispensable role in our shared success and contribute to the results." A year and a half ago, Ahollinger introduced a 4-day work week at the company; the team has Fridays off. "This has been incredibly well-received by our colleagues." The boss himself, of course, is still on duty. His focus is on client consultation, planning, and creating production drawings in 2D CAD.
Workflow: Less digitalization is more
Once the production drawings are complete, the workflow that follows is deliberately not digitalized down to the last detail, but rather promotes and challenges the skills of the carpentry team. The boss discusses the drawings with his long-serving workshop manager, who then handles production planning based on them. This involves creating parts lists in Excel on one hand, and on the other, programming the 5-axis CNC machining center, a Format4 Profit H350. For this, he uses the Format4 CNC software F4 Integrate. When Franz Ahollinger has taken on-site measurements with the 3D system from SL-Laser, the data can also be used in DXF format for programming. After machining, all furniture and fittings are fully assembled in the workshop. Only then are they sanded and lacquered.
Panel cutting: Performance meets precision
The most recent investment—besides a 5-axis CNC—is a Mayer Kappa Automatic 80 panel dividing saw. The traditional Mayer brand is part of the Austrian Felder Group and serves the premium segment in panel cutting. The machine offers a cutting length of 3200 mm and a saw blade projection of 77 mm. The saw features a large 24” TFT screen and has an on-board label printer. The Ardis cutting optimization software is installed on the PC. It imports the aforementioned Excel parts lists and generates optimized cutting patterns at the touch of a button. The "Greenline Package," with its controlled extraction gates and motor control, can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. This is why Ahollinger received funding for the investment. The Felder Group handled the entire application process. Ahollinger values the technology partnership with the Felder Group's showroom in Wörth a. d. Donau. For years, he has felt that he has received the best advice from branch manager Arthur Siedenburg and his team.
Delivering top-tier craftsmanship for the long term
Franz Ahollinger, who is also on the board of the Passau Carpenters' Guild, is not necessarily focused on unconditional growth. For him, it is important to maintain the technological standard with up-to-date machine technology. His main goal is to retain his special, discerning clientele for the long term and to continue to impress them with top-tier craftsmanship, from planning through to implementation. Ahollinger: "That's why we are always looking for motivated and reliable employees."
