The company was founded in 1931 by Gustav Langer and is now in the third generation of family ownership. "As was common in the 1930s, my grandfather started the business as a horseshoe and wagon blacksmith. In the 1950s, my father expanded into structural metalwork, and in the 1960s, we started producing windows and doors. I joined the company at the end of the 1980s," says Lutz Langer, Managing Director of LANGER Metallbau GmbH. In 1999, a subsidiary was established in Hamburg, responsible for project planning, sales, and construction supervision. In the interest of sustainability, about three years ago, another company was created in Hamburg specializing in the maintenance and service of windows and doors. Currently, 40 employees generate revenue of about 12 million EUR.

Guidelines for long-term success

Lutz Langer still follows three principles that his father instilled in him: "You must move to the major cities, you must invest to avoid investment backlog, and you must always keep up with the times. Regarding new vehicles, machinery, or IT equipment, we are always up to date. According to our biggest manufacturers, we are technically about five to ten years ahead of the industry and have virtually become their development partners. For instance, we were the first window manufacturer to start using robotic systems in conjunction with the loading from a fully automated cutting and processing center two years ago. We also always have state-of-the-art tools on the construction site. We always try to be equipped with technical devices that make the work as easy as possible," shares the managing director, who previously worked as a banker.

 

Highest Appreciation of Employees

The corporate culture at LANGER Metallbau GmbH includes the highest appreciation of employees — as well as of craftsmen in general. "Craftsmanship, in my opinion, is not appreciated by the public at all. Many have the image in their heads that the worker arrives late, wears dirty clothing, is unfriendly, and ruins the entire apartment. I am a strong advocate of recognizing the performance of people in craftsmanship and treating them properly. It has happened that I have pulled our team from the site on short notice with unfriendly clients," adds the master metalworker. "Our employees wear uniform clothing, they are basically equipped with four fashion collections — for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. All company vehicles are equipped with parking heaters and air conditioning; even our production hall is air-conditioned. It is nice to see a friendly smile from the employees in the summer when it is hot outside. Accordingly, the efficiency is higher, so that we can produce at a high level even at high temperatures and utilize our facilities fully.”

Extraordinary Range of Services

LANGER Metallbau GmbH deals with building envelopes. This includes, among other things, windows and doors as well as facades made of aluminum and steel. Furthermore, the family-owned company specializes in the production and installation of smoke protection and fireproof doors as well as security construction elements. Conservation projects in the field of steel with delicate steel structures are also part of the portfolio. The references include overwhelming projects such as the skyline of the Hannover Fair. "There, in 1999, together with a steel construction company, we created a 440-meter-long tube made of steel and glass within three months — that was one of our most spectacular projects. Currently, we are active in the high-quality residential construction segment in Northern Germany — such villas are very demanding and cost several million EUR,” describes the master metalworker.

 

Looking into the Future 

Lutz Langer follows the philosophy of always facing the challenges of the future. "To manage this, we make the necessary investments and continually educate ourselves. Digitalization alone has become very challenging. As for automation, we have not yet reached the end of the line. Above all, we want to stay healthy and operate economically so that the company is secure even after my era. Although there are 40 employees in the company, due to our numerous collaborations, I feel responsible for 80 colleagues," adds the managing director. 

Appeal to Politics 

Like the rest of the small and medium-sized enterprises, LANGER Metallbau GmbH also faces major challenges in terms of bureaucracy. "There is no direction indicating where things are headed. As a business owner, I feel quite exploited. I wish that the problems in our own country would be looked at first before distributing money all around the world. There need to be signals towards the middle class so that people feel excited again about starting businesses," concludes Lutz Langer.