Painting, plastering and thermal insulation company Frank Schoppeit GmbH from Bergisch Gladbach has joined Håndverksgruppen (HG).
Frank Schoppeit GmbH was established by Frank Scoppeit in 2000, and over time it grew from a painting business into a broader craft company with 13 employees. Alongside classic painting work, the team today also handles thermal insulation systems (WDVS), interior and exterior plastering, brickwork and drywall.
– We started small, and we built this up bit by bit. Quality, reliability and enjoying the craft, those are the values that have shaped us from day one. As a family business, we've always believed in personal relationships and short decision-making paths, with our own team and with our customers. Much of the trust we have with housing associations and contractors today has been built over many years – in some cases, over decades, says Frank Schoppeit.
Ben Schoppeit, Frank's son, joined the company as an apprentice in 2007 and learned the trade alongside his father. He passed his own master painter exam in 2013 and has taken on more responsibility since then. He recently became an official part of the management team, and today he and his father run the company together, with Frank's experience meeting Ben's ideas. Frank still supports Ben with advice whenever it's needed.
– Joining HG is a new chapter for us. The demands in our trade keep growing, digitalisation, fewer skilled workers coming through, customers expecting more. That calls for stronger structures behind the scenes than a family business can build alone. HG brings extra resources and a good network, without us having to give up what makes us who we are. For our people that means security, and for our customers it means continuity. It mattered to both me and my dad that we keep our identity as a family business, which is why we're staying together as managing directors, says Ben Schoppeit.
Sascha Gellrich, Managing Director of Håndverksgruppen Germany, welcomes the company to the group:
– Frank Schoppeit GmbH is the kind of company we look for. Skilled people, a strong local reputation, and a leadership team that's already thinking about the next generation. Frank has built something solid over the last 25 years, and having Ben carry that forward as co-managing director says a lot about this business.
Øyvind Emblem, Group CEO of Håndverksgruppen, adds:
– We believe the HG model can create real value for local craftspeople in Germany, just as it has in Scandinavia. Frank Schoppeit GmbH is a good example of the kind of well-run, family-owned business we're glad to welcome.
Looking ahead, Ben says he's mostly looking forward to learning from the other companies in the group.
– A network like this gives us new perspectives, and the chance to learn from each other and grow together, while we bring in our own experience too. This isn't a goodbye. It's an investment in the future. We want to keep writing the Frank Schoppeit story, and stay a reliable partner for our customers, our people, and everyone we work with, he says.
