district of Viersen. The District Guild of Viersen awarded five master craftsmen and companies
There was much to celebrate at the general meeting of the guild for sanitary and heating technology in the district of Viersen: Five companies and master craftsmen were honored on their anniversaries.
Obermeister Michael Smeets and Thomas Gütgens, Managing Director of the Niederrhein District Crafts Association, presented the honorary certificates of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts in the Kempen Kolpinghaus. They honored the company A&S Haustechnik GmbH from Tönisvorst on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. The Frank Nickus company in Nettetal has been around for 25 years. There were silver master craftsman certificates for Heribert Welter (Kempen), Guido Poppen (Tönisvorst) and Frank Drommler (Viersen).
If you know the two managing directors of the company A&S Haustechnik GmbH, you know the origin of the company name: Heinrich Alban (73) and Manfred Schmitz (71) founded their company in March 1980 in St. Tönis. They had met eleven years earlier: Manfred Schmitz was an apprentice at the time, Heinrich Alban was already an apprentice in the same company. In 1979 both received their master’s degrees as heating and ventilation installers and a year later as gas and water installers.
The two masters started alone, four years later they had three employees. In 1995 the company moved from Marktstrasse to its current location in Ostring. The business continued to grow. Today the team consists of 19 employees, of which 14 are fitters. “We take care of all the technology in the house: gas, water, heating,” says Heinrich Alban. For a long time he and Manfred Schmitz had the idea of retiring between the ages of 70 and 75: “We already know our successors, both currently work in the company and are getting to know them like this,” say Alban and Schmitz. The successors are Dennis Werner and Tobias von der Weyden, both also champions.
“The handover is planned for March 2023, there will be a change party, also for employees and former employees,” announces Manfred Schmitz. What Heinrich Alban will do first when he retires will be on two wheels, detailed planning is in preparation: “First I did bike races, then I traveled with my bike and my tent. If everything works out, I will leave on April 15th with my bike and my tent, it’s my dream to come to Morocco,” he says.He wants to be away for three months.
Frank Nickus doesn’t have much time for hobbies. The 54-year-old from Nettetal-Lobberich founded his own business on Marktstrasse after completing the specialist exam to become an engineer for heating and ventilation systems. In 1995 he also passed the exam to become a master gas and water installer. About 13 years ago, the company moved to the street at the Lobberich sports ground. “I started out as a ‘lone fighter’ and now have four employees,” says Nickus. About half of the mainly private customers come from Nettetal, many more live in Meerbusch. He shares Nickus’ current problem as head of the company with many of his colleagues: “Equipment such as heat pumps and heating systems is currently hard to find.”
Heribert Welter (51) from Kempen has similar concerns regarding the procurement of materials, especially heat pumps. He graduated as a master electrician in 1994 and passed the master gas and water installer exam 25 years ago. He founded his company in August 1994. Today he has twelve employees. “We do everything related to construction services. My customers come from and around Kempen”.
Guido Poppen (49) completed his master’s degree as a gas and water fitter 25 years ago and took over the company in St. Tönis, which was founded in 1935 and since 2004 called “Heinrich Poppen und Sohn Haustechnik GmbH” after his father Enrico. He has five employees, his wife Cécile works in the office. The customers come from the districts of Viersen and Krefeld. Guido Poppen expects material supply to ease in 2023. But: “The economy in the finishing trade will be in decline.”
Frank Drommler (52) from Viersen also received the Silver Master’s Certificate. By evening he had completed the training school for central heating and ventilation engineers in Oberhausen. In 1998 he took over the business of his grandfather Kurt Willms, for whom he had previously worked as a shop assistant. “My customers come from the districts of Viersen, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld and Düsseldorf,” says Drommler. He has five employees, his wife Britta is in charge of the office.
