Despite the pandemic, the construction industry continues to boom.
Craftsmen in the southern district have full order books.
With a view to the future, you are not worried about Corona, but about the development of the raw materials market.
Some things are no longer available, say craftsmen from various trades.
Southern County - The painters were most likely to feel the long lockdown.
In the cold winter months, painting companies are mainly active indoors.
The "painter Max" from Neuching confirms that this was a disadvantage in times of the pandemic.
He and his four employees have mostly private customers.
Many orders were postponed during the lockdown.
This situation was precarious for his company.
"Small businesses like us are gnawing at the subsistence level and are struggling," says Schulze.
It affects his profession more than other craftsmen: “You can do without a painter or carpenter.
We don't bring electricity or heating. "
painter
While the "painter Max" criticizes the current actions of politics with regard to the economy, he praises the Erdingen tax office all the more for its goodwill with tax payments.
"If they hadn't played along, I would be broke," admits Schulze.
He reports that he knows two painting companies from Erding that will probably not survive.
Two other master painters from the southern district did not want to answer our newspaper's press request.
Michael Leo Börsch from Wörth, on the other hand, declares that he worked every day with his ten-person painting business.
"If we hadn't been told that it was Corona, we wouldn't have noticed." According to Börsch, compliance with hygiene measures, consideration and division of labor for customers are not a problem.
heater
Corona has also not harmed other trades, such as the master craftsman Mühlhuber for heating, plumbing and solar from Reithofen.
“Everything went on as normal for us,” says Gabi Mühlhuber.
There were very few changes in appointments with their private customers.
"The people need heating and water and were happy that someone came."
Tiles
Hans Schiwietz GmbH from Neufinsing has experienced quite a few project cancellations due to short-time work or unemployment on the part of the client.
However, initially more cautious customers would have placed orders again during the lockdown, reports Schiwietz.
His specialist company for tiles and furnace construction is broadly based with private and corporate customers.
"So far we've got through quite well."
Electrical engineering
His cousin Bernd Schiwietz only started his own business in Finsinger in March 2020 shortly before the first lockdown. His conclusion is still positive even after the second, long lockdown. “It was rather stressful for me. I didn't notice that it was collapsing, ”says Schiwietz about the order situation. The stakes in private households have even increased because many citizens have invested in new bathrooms or kitchens.
The balance sheet at Elektrotechnik Glockshuber in Walpertskirchen is similar.
“We worked through,” says Susanne Glockshuber.
Few of their customers are reluctant to postpone projects.
This was especially true at the beginning of the lockdown.
“Now everything is running normally again.
Everyone has got used to the situation - with mask and distance, ”says Glockshuber.
Your employees work in groups, start their duties with a time delay and are tested once a week.
Master painter Schulze is the only one from our research who has had to seek immediate help - but only in the first lockdown.
Due to the warmer season, the Neuchinger is now becoming more optimistic again.
In the meantime there are already outside projects.
The craft continues to flourish in the southern district.
“We have been booming for years and don't know that we have less work,” says painter Börsch from Wörth.
However, all companies are now feeling that their work materials are becoming scarcer.
Everyone is more concerned about the high demand for raw materials than about the pandemic.
“It is not the orders that are the issue now, but that the goods may not come,” confirms Mühlhuber.
Your Reithofen company already has experience with longer delivery times.
Electrician Schiwietz found that cable material is becoming more expensive or not available.
The painter Börsch also uses alternative products in some cases.
Some colors are no longer available, floors have longer delivery times.
The "painter Max" notices bottlenecks in plaster or floor coverings.
Markus Ostermaier
