Member Talk
3 keys to Germantown n
Germantown Iron & Steel grows from a family basement into a 45-year-old custom build/design structural steel and ornamental fabricator through 1) diversification, 2) good relationships with contractors, and ) investing in the business. By Bobby Hickman Early in his fabrication career, Boyd
Germantown Iron & Steel owners Dave Gutbrod, left, with Ken Gutbrod. Founder Boyd Gutbrod, right.
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Gutbrod was frustrated. His employer was entirely focused on structural steel, and when customers asked for simple miscellaneous work, “the boss said no — they would have to get that from someone else,” recalls his son, David. “My dad wanted to sell the whole job.” When one client wanted a basic retaining wall railing, Boyd finally asked the boss if he could do that work on his own time. “He worked in my grandfather’s basement where there was a welding machine and other equipment,” David says. That was the beginning of the Triple A Railing Company in 1968. Over time, the miscellaneous fabrication company outgrew that basement and became German-
The “pinwheel house” private residence, top and page 40–41, on Pine Lake in southeastern Wisconsin. It was featured on HGtv’s Extreme Homes. The company received two awards — Gold for structures and Silver for Stairs, Complete Residential — in the NOMMA Top Job contest.
Fabricator n March / April 2013