We German brick makers to meet in Rome!

As incoming president of the Federal German Association of the Brick and Tile Industry Regd,
I should like to heartily invite all German clay brick and tile makers to this year’s Association conference in Rome. After all, only together are we strong!

We brick and tile makers have significantly shaped Germany’s building culture to this day. In the north of the country, our contribution is obvious at first glance from the magnificent brick façades. But, of course, behind most façades, masonry bricks are concealed, roofs are covered with clay roofing tiles while on the ground clay pavers are laid. Even if the use of bricks differs regionally, one of my favourite sayings always fits perfectly: “Clay bricks and blocks: Market
leaders for 5 000 years”.

I am very proud to represent our traditional yet modern industry as president. Nevertheless, we as brick makers are used to tackling constantly changing challenges. Many of us have not managed to survive against the competition. The last few years and especially the economic prospects can make especially us backing brick producers optimistic. But we do have to make the most of this opportunity and hold our own against the many competitors. These include other masonry building materials, wood and concrete just as much as the bureaucrats in Brussels and Berlin.

We can only prevail in this battle if we are strong. Being strong means being capable of innovating and investing. This requires profitability. Strong also means the clay brick and tile industry acting in unity, as a strong alliance. This requires farsighted thinking out of the box as well as solidarity. The one thing leads to another and both can be developed. Personal talks and “knowing each other” makes a lot of things easier. From 5 to 7 May, our industry is meeting in the “Eternal City of Rome”. Apart from the fact that Rome with its impressive brick buildings is always worth a trip, this meeting should be an excellent opportunity to strengthen solidarity in fellowship.

I heartily invite all German brick and tile makers who have not yet already registered to do so! We should all work together to have a conference that we can talk about for a long time to come.

See you in Rome!

Yours Stefan Jungk

Incoming President of the Federal German Association

of the Brick and Tile Industry Regd