A lot has happened since Julian Grimm (27) earned his master carpenter certification in Stuttgart five years ago. In 2016, he went into business for himself in a small 150 m2 workshop with the most essential standard machines. Today, his team consists of eight colleagues – and things have also changed significantly in the workshop: since January 2019, furniture and interior fittings have been created in a beautiful new facility in Fellbach, near Stuttgart. In our conversation, he happily remarks, "We've been at full capacity from day one; we don't know what it's like to stand still."

"I just needed everything"

When he first became self-employed, Julian Grimm also completed further training in business administration for skilled trades. "The master craftsman course just didn't go into enough depth for me in that area." Because for all his love and passion for the carpentry profession, the young entrepreneur takes it for granted that being self-employed also has to be financially rewarding.

As early as 2014, Julian Grimm was already taking a close look at the Holz-Handwerk trade fair in Nuremberg with his future business in mind. "I was starting from scratch. In other words, I just needed everything." By this, he means a complete set of machinery, with a focus on the usual standard machines: a sliding table saw, spindle moulder, planer, bandsaw, and so on.

The conclusion of these efforts: "I visited various companies and, of course, looked at a lot of things. Some manufacturers really didn't take me or my project seriously at all. I was someone looking to go from zero to a full set of equipment right from the start – many didn't really seem to believe it."

The beginning of a technology partnership

It was a completely different story with the Austrian machine manufacturer Felder. Julian Grimm recalls, "They listened to me very attentively and fully engaged with my request. Together with the team at the Felder branch in Bretzfeld, I then put together a solid starter set of standard machines for my business." To manage the finances, this included some showroom models, and of course, he didn't opt for the absolute premium features on every machine. In the end, he had a solid initial setup. And, to give a little spoiler: this pivotal initial contact was the start of an open and loyal technology partnership that continues to this day.

Off to a flying start

Production kicked off in the first small workshop in the Schmiden district of Fellbach on May 2, 2016. Three months later, the first apprentice joined Grimm. In October of the same year, Werner Schleehauf, an experienced master carpenter, was added to the team, and in December, apprentice number two came on board. After the third apprentice carpenter joined the team in August 2017, the 150 m2 space was becoming noticeably tight. Julian Grimm says, "It was clear we had to do something if we wanted to keep growing."

No sooner said than done: Grimm managed to acquire a 1200 m2 plot of land from the city of Fellbach and, in 2018, built a 900 m2 facility, half of which is dedicated to the workshop. This step was accompanied by investments in machinery and operational technology. Here, too, Grimm relied on the partnership with the Felder Group, which had already proven itself over several years.

Investing in the future

With the move into the new facility in December 2018, a Format-4 H350 5-axis CNC machine and a fully controlled Tempora 60.06 L edgebander were added to the machine park. A special feature of the edgebander is that, in addition to a hot-melt glue pot, it has the AdvantEdge hot-air unit on board. This patented unit enables the processing of laser edge materials for a seamless "zero-joint" look. It is workpiece-controlled and can be activated or deactivated directly from the control unit. Julian Grimm states, "Today, 90% of the edges we process are laser edges. In special cases, for example, when very high moisture resistance is required, we use PUR hot-melt adhesive." Furthermore, the Tempora scores points with its very compact dimensions.

CNC technology was completely new territory for Julian Grimm. As a result, the fifth axis is not yet used as much as the master carpenter would like. "But we plan to push forward in this area and create a continuous workflow from CAD design right through to the CNC machine." By the way, every team member, including the apprentices, can operate the CNC.

A versatile furniture and interior fittings specialist

The vast majority (80 to 85%) of the workshop's business comes from private customers. About two-thirds of the work involves panel materials, but solid wood and other materials also play an important role. Grimm explains, "We do a lot of lacquering and are increasingly experimenting with special-effect finishes. The experts from the lacquer manufacturer Adler and their competent team of advisors regularly guide and support us in this."

When it comes to furniture connectors, the workshop has settled on a combination of Lamello Clamex or Tenso connectors (respectively) plus dowels.

Julian Grimm isn't a fan of simply handing his carpenters finished parts lists and work instructions to be processed. "Once I have a design finalized, I first discuss it intensively and in detail with the colleague who will then carry out the order from A to Z. This also includes them planning and designing the entire workflow themselves. This way, hardly any questions arise, and I also consider it an important motivating factor."

"You can't afford to miss out on digitalization"

Of course, I also ask the young entrepreneur how he views digitalization and what role it plays in his workshop. "Digitalization is very important, and you can't afford to miss out on it. We still have quite a bit of work to do in that area, too. This mainly concerns data consistency from the design phase to the CNC machine." In other areas, Grimm is already making strong use of digital possibilities: for example, when taking site measurements, he always takes 360° photos of the location. In the digital job files, he supplements these with useful information to ensure a smooth process. "I add comments and use the images to show things like where to park easily or the maximum size a piece of furniture can be to fit through the stairwell. The goal is for my colleagues to be able to plan effectively and know exactly what needs to be done and what to look out for."

In this context, Grimm plans to equip some colleagues with iPads soon. On these devices, they will not only be able to find all the information about their jobs but also create their own installation documentation, carry out their digital time tracking, or ask questions to the boss or colleagues. If this proves successful, the entire team will be equipped this way in the future.

Another topic for Julian Grimm is digital measuring. "That will certainly become a topic at some point in connection with data consistency. But we are a young, small company and of course we can't manage and finance everything at once. Especially since we're also very busy. One step at a time."

In demand with young people

Julian Grimm knows no shortage of new talent: "I get two to three inquiries every week from young people who want to do an apprenticeship with us. Word has probably gotten around that we are a pragmatic and dedicated team that relies on cool new technologies."

What's important for Julian Grimm's future is not growth at any cost. Rather, he wants to sustainably establish his company as a brand that stands for "great craftsmanship and design at a fair price."