C O V E R
S T O R Y
"Wood deserves esteem"
says ecologically driven
German sawyer and carpenter
"We're a classic family affair", Matthias
Berthold proudly says about his
carpentry and stair-building business in
Friedrichsdorf, Germany.
Fifteen years ago he and his brother
built two timber cottages on a
20,000m² former factory site at
Friedrichsdorf near Bad Homburg,
where the families live and work
together running separate companies.
Matthias Berthold set up his business
25 years before and has employed a
journeyman and an apprentice since.
With his wife, Katja and the two
4
WOOD-MIZER TODAY SUMMER 2011
employees, they produce 'feature' roof
constructions, handcrafted stairs, fingerjointed stools, benches and even an altar
once.
"Furthermore, I've got my wife as a coworker and she's not to be
underestimated", he smiles. Katja keeps
him on top of appointments, runs the
office and finally convinced him to buy a
Wood-Mizer band sawmill which he had
been considering long before the launch
of the small model LT15 mill. Other mills
had seemed too expensive and he was
determined to buy the new model LT15