Rock, paper, scissors from Vienna

The city provides plenty of space for business. Vienna has the infrastructure, the network and the expertise – some of it going back many generations. Vienna offers space, skilled workers and customers for craft businesses in particular, as illustrated by these three companies.

Safety first

The metalworking shop Schlosserei Beran was founded in 1920 in Vienna’s 6th district. The family business is situated on Stiegengasse, where it produces and repairs individual folding scissor gates, rolling grilles and roller shutters. Four generations since its inception, the company is now headed by Anton Beran, a qualified engineer specialising in the manufacture of traditional security technology and anti-burglary systems. The company uses old and dependable machines for this purpose: one of them has been in service for approximately 100 years. In addition to such seasoned technology, Beran also relies on the expertise of his team. Each anti-burglary device is custom-made and one-of-a-kind, and is precisely tailored to fit the dimensions of the windows and doors. This means that the scissor gates and roller shutters can be opened easily and smoothly.

Services provided by the Vienna Business Agency:

Consultancy and networking services provided by the Vienna Business Agency.

A passion for stone

Schubert Stone, a company with a team of around 14 employees that has been working and showcasing its products in the 23rd district for two generations, is a prime example of a successful craft business in Vienna. This family business specialises in natural stone, porcelain stoneware and parquet. The company offers consultations to both private customers and corporate clients, including Hof Palace, the Imperial Pavilion in the Schönbrunn Zoo, and the Mozart House in Vienna. “I’m always on the lookout for interesting stones. No two stones are alike,” says master stonemason Thomas Schubert.

Having joined his parents’ business in 1981, Schubert took over as managing director in 1995 and has owned the business since 2007. He also completed a course in advertising and sales at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Wirtschaftsuniversität, or WU Wien). The dimensions requested by the customer are then milled out with the aid of computer-assisted technologies for an exact fit. In the past, it was only possible to cut marble and limestone but today granite is also possible. “It only takes about a minute if you use a diamond circular saw,” says Schubert.

The Vienna Business Agency provided support and funding to the craft business for a smooth entry into the world of online commerce. About 95% of Schubert’s clients are private individuals who are building houses or renovating flats. Most of them are from eastern Austria, but the company also has clients from all over Europe, sometimes even beyond.

Services provided by the Vienna Business Agency:

Funding ViennaOnlineNext/21

Funding ViennaDigital/21

Viennese handicrafts

Writing, jotting down notes, planning and organising – sometimes these things are best done on paper. If you love personalised handmade planners, why not use a Moduletto? “The things we write down, sketch, clip or paste into our Moduletto, and the ideas, plans and actions that emerge from them all turn our Moduletto into something deeply personal and highly valuable. Moduletto is the stage for your ideas,” says Michele Falchetto, developer of the Moduletto flexible notebook system. The company was founded in 2014 with a focus on design and advertising. Over time, Falchetto developed the customisable Moduletto system. The Vienna Business Agency provided support for the Viennese craft business in setting up an online shop. This is an important step, because fans of the handmade notebooks and calendars now extend far beyond Vienna. The Moduletto system includes inserts that can be reconfigured and supplemented over and over again. The notebook cover and elastic closure can also be adapted very easily. You can even choose a cover made of textile paper to create a washable notebook.

Services provided by the Vienna Business Agency:

Consultancy and funding Webshop 2020

January 2023