Foundation
Driven to maintain excellence
On June 15, 1875 Conrad Freytag and his brother-in-law Carl Heidschuch founded Offene Handelsgesellschaft Freytag & Heidschuch (a general partnership) with its head office in Neustadt an der Haardt (today “an der Weinstraße“). The business areas of the young company were initially limited to trading in construction materials (Villeroy & Boch, Heidelberger Zement, Stuttgarter Gipswerke) and the production of cement pipes. Shortly after the company was founded construction contracts were also carried out, mainly concrete roof bars in cellar vaults, compressed concrete foundations, cellar waterproofing, floor and pavement coverings and cement screed.
Conrad Freytag was born in Lachen near Neustadt on August 7, 1846 as the son of a Palatine farming family. After completion of an apprenticeship in the brewery field, he moved to Neustadt where he built a residential and office building in Talstraße in 1871, which then served as the head office of his company until they moved in 1925. Conrad Freytag managed the company with a great deal of hard work, strength of purpose and prudence. His motto „Nicht nachlassen zwingt!“ (Driven to maintain excellence) is a commitment entered into by all employees to this day.
Since Carl Heidschuch, the partner responsible for trading with construction materials, died young in 1891, his influence on the development of the company was not as important as that of the „founding father“ Conrad Freytag.