Advancing Digitalization in Construction
Interview with Frank Wittig, Managing Director of Euro Massiv Bau GmbH
Those who build desire a home tailored specifically to them. Euro Massiv Bau GmbH, based in Duisburg, specializes in individually planned, turnkey single-family homes. In a conversation with Wirtschaftsforum, Managing Director Frank Wittig discusses a market dichotomy, cohesion, and digitalization in construction, which is sometimes still very analog.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Wittig, you founded Euro Massiv Bau GmbH in 2008. How has the company developed since then?
Frank Wittig: We started as a general contractor and plan and build high-quality, turnkey single-family homes. Today we employ eleven people, work with a fixed base of partners, and achieve an annual turnover of around 15 million EUR. The development has been very stable overall, except for the Corona period, which, like many others, gave us a dry spell of about one and a half years. After that, we were able to quickly reconnect with the previous period. Our growth was organic, without major leaps, solely through referrals. This shows that quality is sustainable in the long term.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you assess the current situation in the construction industry?
Frank Wittig: The market is changing significantly. We operate in the mid to high price range. That has been our concept from the start. I see a development towards a bifurcation: many will not be able to afford building in the future, but those who do build expect quality and service. We serve exactly this clientele. I assume that the market will continue to sort itself out - providers without a solid foundation will disappear, while companies with a stable structure and clear quality orientation will remain.
Wirtschaftsforum: What does your range of services as a full-service provider specifically include?
Frank Wittig: Our core business consists of individually planned single-family homes, and occasionally smaller multi-family houses. We do not build standard houses, but exclusively unique ones. Typically, the client brings their own plot of land, we check the building law, plan with our team of architects, and realize a tailor-made house. They receive the complete service package from a single source, including planning, construction management, fixed price, and construction time guarantee. This sets us apart from the typical architectural contract, where each trade must be awarded separately and lacks price and time certainty.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you manage to ensure this quality consistently?
Frank Wittig: We have been working with the same craft businesses for years, which ensures consistently high quality. Our site managers are permanent employees and take intensive care of each project. Additionally, we are checked by independent institutes. Customers evaluate each trade, and our rate of recommendation has been consistently between 87% and 92% for years. We analyze the results carefully and respond if individual areas perform poorly.
Wirtschaftsforum: The shortage of skilled workers affects many sectors. Does it affect you as well?
Frank Wittig: We ourselves are hardly affected by this. Many employees have been with us since the inception. This shows that our company is valued as a workplace. We are a small, family-like team that has known each other for years. We consciously maintain this atmosphere with community events, which families also attend. This creates cohesion and loyalty. However, our partner companies feel the shortage of skilled workers much more acutely.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does digitization play in your company – and where do you see challenges?
Frank Wittig: We work almost entirely without paper internally. All foremen digitally access our servers and have all documents on their tablets. This saves time and avoids errors. However, collaboration with authorities is problematic: Many building authorities still require documents in paper form. Having to print out hundreds of pages of statics is simply no longer contemporary. The issue has been recognized politically, but implementation takes time. My wish would be to advance digitalization in construction as quickly as possible.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you see the future of your company?
Frank Wittig: I do not aim for larger growth. It is important to continue what we do at a high level. Satisfied customers and stable structures are more important to me than sales records.
Wirtschaftsforum: And what motivates you personally?
Frank Wittig: My drive is to lead this company successfully over the long term and eventually hand it over into good hands. However, the greatest motivation remains the personal experience: When I hand over the keys to their new house to young families and know that we have realized their dream – that is always a special moment.