A fitter walks towards his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Individually designed fireplaces with the help of Atego, Sprinter and Vito vehicles.

Ofen Weiss has been building individual chimneys and stoves for ten generations with great passion and love of detail. Supported by a fleet of Atego, Sprinter and Vito vehicles, the family business brings warmth into living rooms.

Family-run business in its tenth generation.

Family-run business Ofen Weiss can look back on a very long history: founded in 1689, the business has been passed down from generation to generation. "Today more than ever, Ofen Weiss stands for trust and a love of high-quality, honest handicraft and I'm very proud to now be the tenth generation of the family to run the business and to do so with the same amount of passion and devotion as my predecessors showed," explains Volker Weiss. The managing director is a trained master fireplace builder. In view of the family history, there was no way of avoiding this career path – the trades were virtually in his DNA. Today the family-run business employs a team of seven colleagues. "We try to keep the quality at the same high level which my father had already established. In line with this, we want to remain individual and authentic. So, we prefer to stay small and compact as opposed to big and untransparent."

From a potter to an oven builder.

The story of Ofen Weiss began in 1689 with Leonhard Weiss setting himself up as a sole trader with his oven and tableware retail operations. He initially produced ceramic crockery such as jugs and plates using clay. Over the years, the oven building side of the business replaced the previous core business of pottery. Oven builders in Germany used to be known as "potters", because they used to make the pot or cup-shaped oven tiles themselves. In southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland this job title is still common today.

The art of craftsmanship meets tradition and modernity.

In times gone by, the tiled stoves typically found in Germany were the focal point of a house. They were prominently positioned in rooms and served to heat the entire house. Volker Weiss tells us that since the advent of modern central heating systems, fireplaces have become something of a prestige symbol or design object. "What we build most often are heating chimneys. These feature a plastered brick wall with panoramic glazing on three sides. This is the type which is most desired by the majority of our customers." When it comes to technology, a great deal has changed over the years. Combustion control mechanisms ensure that the oven no longer needs to be regulated by hand. Air supply is controlled entirely automatically via a control unit. Thanks to a door contact switch and a temperature sensor, the combustion is regulated to perfection. "This increases the efficiency, ensures fewer emissions and a better flame – everything is optimised," explains the master craftsman.

Passionate about chimneys.

"A good chimney needs a good design, it needs to be well-planned and it also needs to be fine-tuned to the customer's wishes. And of course, it also needs to work well."

The vehicle fleet at Ofen Weiss.

· Vito: with the Vito, the service team remains extremely flexible. Small parking spaces and narrow streets are no problem.

· Sprinter: the Sprinter is the optimal vehicle for the installation team thanks to its large cargo capacity. Besides all the materials and tools required, the oven builder can also fit in a Euro pallet.

· Atego: the Atego is used by the oven builders to deliver materials and heavy heating elements to the site. Plus the tail lift greatly facilitates the team's work.

· Sortimo: to ensure optimal organisation of the workplace, a Sortimo shelving solution is installed in all three of the company's vehicles.

True craftsmanship: the fireplaces from Ofen Weiss.

From customer advice to the submission of a quote, from the drawing up of plans to the on-site appointments, the daily routine of an oven builder is rather diverse. "To start with, we offer in-depth advice during which we determine what the customer has in mind." Do they want a large and visible fireplace, or are they looking for something which keeps the heat for longer? We explain the respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as the fireplaces that would be suited to the requirements. "Those who come to us often have special requirements. But fulfilling these is the especially fun bit." In the next stage, we look at the room in which the customer wishes the fireplace to be installed: how big is the living area, what space is available? Once these aspects are clarified, we start drawing up plans: "Walled chimneys and tiled ovens will accompany the customer for a lifetime and they therefore need to be precisely matched to their requirements and their expectations."