James Carter
In the beginning of the November I traveled to Europe to visit Stortz Tool vendors Freund and Stubai, while also attending the IFD Conference. Freund is a generational business that specializes in slate and sheet metal tools and Stubai is a manufacturing company for varying trades such as roofing, forestry, auto, and construction. The IFD conference was held in Innsbruck, Austria and featured a young roofers competition that carries a sense of national pride.
Current managing director Daniel Schreiber was my guide through Freund. He has made it Freund’s mission to use local forges and continue producing the Freund name on products such as pliers and hammers in Germany. He was kind enough to show me the processes that go to producing the slate hammer and seaming pliers. They have also invested in updated equipment such as robotic welders to continue to fabricate quality oriented products.
“Anyone who buys Stubai chooses quality”
Stubai is an umbrella for forgers and member companies to sell through. Settled in an incredible landscape within the Tyrolean valley, these businesses operate directly within Austria. Traveling through the varying smaller members and then through the larger forges impresses on you the attention to detail within the processes to get where they are today. You feel the brand. The output of the products is that of the highest quality tools that the industry offers. When you get a Stubai tool, you can be sure that it’s coming from a business owner who has been doing it for generations.
The International Federation of Roofing Trades organizes a bi-annual Young Roofers Competition. It challenges roofers on disciplines such as steep slope, waterproofing, metal roofing, and facade. Roughly a dozen nations compete and are judged by qualified evaluators. It is a 3 day event and at the end a gala is prepared and awards presented based on score. Watching this progress through the 3 days, you see teams are proud to represent their country and the camaraderie develop among competing nations.
The Competition
Entertainment & Awards
