Anne-Kathrin Heidrich: My start into self-employment

In this series, the Handwerksblatt magazine introduces people who have founded or taken over a craft business. Like master tiler, slab installer, and mosaicist Anne-Kathrin Heidrich from Brandenburg.

This article is part of the special feature on women in the trades.

When Anne-Kathrin Heidrich won the " Professionals Deliver (PLW) " competition as Germany's best tile setter in 2021 , she became a sought-after media guest. However, she is even more proud to be continuing her grandfather's family business and the family tradition. Four years ago, the media hailed Anne-Kathrin Heidrich as Germany's best tile setter.

The woman from Brandenburg had just won the competition for the best young craftspeople in Germany in her trade. This was followed by invitations to SAT1's breakfast television program and the MDR's classic talk show, Riverboat. "The great interest really surprised me ," the 27-year-old recalls. "However, there was a lot of emphasis on the fact that I, as a woman, had prevailed in a male-dominated field. I would have preferred that my craftsmanship had been given more prominence ."

Even as a student, she did internships in the construction industry

For Anne-Kathrin Heidrich, craftsmanship is no accident. Even as a schoolgirl, she used internships to gain experience in the construction industry . She then completed her apprenticeship in her parents' business. Her family has been a fixture in the tiling trade in northern Brandenburg for three generations . Her grandfather, Hans Heidrich, founded a tiling company in 1988 under the particularly difficult conditions for self-employed individuals in East Germany. In 2002, he, along with her father, Dirk, and her uncle, Jens Heidrich, also established Heidrich Fliesen GmbH , which has made a name for itself in swimming pool construction, among other things.

For Anne-Kathrin Heidrich, her future career in the trades was clear right after graduating from high school . "I wanted to do something tangible," she says. However, the apprenticeship in the family business wasn't enough for her. Therefore, alongside her apprenticeship, Heidrich simultaneously pursued a degree in civil engineering at the BTU Cottbus to acquire comprehensive theoretical knowledge, particularly in structural engineering. It was a demanding time: "You have to be very sure of your career choice to take on the double workload," she says, looking back. But the effort paid off. In 2022, she successfully completed both her apprenticeship and her studies, and since 2023, she has been a master tile, slab, and mosaic layer.

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At the end of 2023, she took over her grandfather's craft business. After the takeover, she had to invest a little – for example, in computer equipment and calculation software – but then her own company was ready to launch. Based in the small community of Rüthnick, the young founder now works for private clients: "It's fun to plan a bathroom, implement the plans, and present the finished result to the client." Her work is primarily in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Oberhavel regions.

Many customers have become aware of her through her TV celebrity appearance. That's why Anne-Kathrin Heidrich continues to promote the attractiveness of skilled trades, especially among young people.

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