"Everything remains with the small craftsman"

The Nienkempers are at their limit. Everyone wants something from them, but no one can or wants to make any decisions anymore. So they have to write, write, write. The bureaucracy never ends.

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

It's almost as if it were prearranged: Shortly before the scheduled meeting to discuss the oppressive bureaucratic burden, a construction manager calls Heinz Nienkemper. There are some uncertainties. The owner of Nienkemper Metallbau GmbH talks and talks, but he can't reach a conclusion. "There are more and more laws, regulations, and standards, but fewer and fewer people who still have a clear view," the master metalworker notes.

This leads to serious problems. One of them: Hardly anyone can or wants to make any decisions anymore. It starts with the construction plans. "I sent an architect 260 emails because she had no idea what she was asking for. It took over a year to sort things out – and that was for a contract valued at 40.000 euros," complains industrial engineer Daniel Nienkemper, who works in his father's company. Another problem: Only price, not quality, matters. If the process is delayed due to sloppily executed preparatory work, the Nienkempers are called upon. "Others miss their deadlines, but we have to report the delay in writing because otherwise we face a contractual penalty," rages Heinz Nienkemper. "We write, write, write." Two-thirds of the orders are no longer being completed according to the agreed schedule. To keep the 18-person company continuously busy, they would actually have to accept more orders than they can handle.

The metalworking company from Ennigerloh primarily manufactures and installs aluminum facades, windows, and door elements. The elements are heavy and bulky. They are often installed at great heights. Therefore, the fleet includes a 26-ton truck with an 18-meter loading crane. "For us, it's more of a tool than a vehicle," emphasizes Daniel Nienkemper. Nevertheless, the company is subject to tachograph requirements. "Every mechanic who drives the truck must comprehensively document the driving, working, standby, and rest times for the past 28 days in the tachograph." Furthermore, regular training is required for drivers. All of this leads to a significant organizational, financial, and bureaucratic effort. But those who shy away from it face hefty fines. "Our truck sits idle more than it drives. But the law treats us like a freight forwarder," Daniel Nienkemper complains. "The tachograph requirement is an absolute bureaucratic monster!"

And: Germany is testing itself to death. The working plans and structural calculations for facade and window structures must be approved by the client before construction begins. In extreme cases, it can take up to six months for approval. In addition, even for single-family homes with single- or double-leaf elements, structural stability and glass structural calculations are required for each design type. The few structural engineering firms are sometimes completely overwhelmed. "We're now paying twice as much for this as we did five years ago," notes Heinz Nienkemper.

Not to mention the "documentation and certification mania." The company is prequalified and certified as a welding specialist according to DIN EN 1090. Individual documentation is created for each project, including operating and maintenance instructions, system and glass test certificates, commissioning certificates, structural analyses, drawings, CE and manufacturer declarations, which then usually "disappear" in three copies in the client's cabinets, but are "unrecoverable" when needed.

The trade associations and the state occupational safety authorities also want to know exactly what's going on. "Both examine the same facts – for example, whether we've posted the instructions for using a ladder correctly. This takes us a whole day each." Three departments review the final invoice for public contracts. "Even if the architect and construction manager had no complaints, the audit office will certainly still have questions," Daniel Nienkemper knows from bitter experience. The money rarely arrives in the company account within the agreed timeframe. Instead of 30 days, it's more likely 60. On the other hand, suppliers want to be paid on time. "If we don't settle our accounts within four weeks, we won't get any new materials from them."

The company generates the same amount of revenue as it did ten years ago. "But back then, two employees each in the commercial and technical departments were sufficient. Today, due to the ever-increasing bureaucratic burden, it's twice as many," explains Heinz Nienkemper. On average, they earn two to two and a half percent – ​​"before taxes and only if everything goes well." This means that large financial gains are out of the question. Daniel Nienkemper is at a loss. Craft businesses like his father's make an important contribution to value creation, "but these days, it's more likely that athletes, stockbrokers, or young girls who give makeup tips on YouTube are making money. Why isn't politics doing anything about this?"

Heinz Nienkemper won a prize with his self-developed double miter saw. That was more than twenty years ago. He still enjoys technical tinkering. But he no longer has the time for such innovations. "We're being bombarded from morning to night. Everything is left to the small craftsman, who is supposed to take care of everything for everyone else." He arrives at the shop at seven o'clock. He usually finishes work around 21 p.m. The master metalworker can hardly remember the last time he went on vacation for longer than a week. The Nienkempers are wondering who will assume responsibility for the employees and the continued existence of the skilled trades in the future, despite the many bureaucratic hurdles.