Kämpflein the painter: creative and always ready for a challenge

Four other tradespeople in the team

But these times are long gone: Now Kämpflein drives to construction sites in one of his three Sprinter vans and four others are part of the team. The company's catchment area extends from Cologne to Frankfurt am Main. However, Thomas Kämpflein's customers don't book him just because they like his success story. "They know that they will get quality from us," the boss explains.

He demonstrates exactly what he means by this in a tour of the new building on Hunsrücktraße. In 2017, the company moved to its new headquarters in Montabaur. "This was a big project for us," reports the 49-year-old. His team did the job on their own, from floor to ceiling. The craftsmen paid attention to every detail. This is also demonstrated by the fact that they used the color combination of light green and orange throughout the building – from the outer facade to the storage room and tea kitchen. When he guides customers through the house, Kämpflein refers to the floors. He rolls a carpet aside and points to the orange substrate. "This is a so-called mineral floor, each one is unique," emphasizes Kämpflein. "This is very much in demand from our customers." The flooring plaster consists of two components and has fine textures.

A completed school project

He scores points with his customers with these individual concepts. His customers are exclusively from the private sector. Thomas Kämpflein only made one exception. A school in the neighborhood was in need of renovation. The municipality had already awarded the contract, but then there were problems with the business that took it on. A short-term solution was needed and Thomas Kämpflein spontaneously took over the painting and varnishing work. "We hardly had any time for a heads-up," he says. "But we were able to complete the project on time." Working at the school is one of his favorite memories. Just like an job in a small village only five kilometers from Montabaur. Thomas Kämpflein equipped a house there with a composite system for thermal insulation. He got in touch with the customer and got to know her better. "And now we're married," says the company owner and smiles. His wife sits in the office and is currently on the phone to a customer. After she hangs up, Nadja Kämpflein goes back to her accounting. "Here, no two days are alike," she says. "That's what I like about my job."

A website with 360-degree tours

The Kämpfleins don't like ordinary. And their new website makes that clear. Static pages are out of touch. Instead, it's possible to take a 360-degree tour of the company building. Digitally, the customer can walk past the garage and move around the rooms and stairwell. "This allows them to gather inspiration for their own projects," says Thomas Kämpflein. He is a tech-savvy person who likes to present visualizations to his customers on a tablet. Kämpflein likes to get involved. "Just working in the office, that wouldn't be for me at all," he admits. Even today, his schedule always includes a trip to the construction site. Kämpflein swaps jeans and green sweaters for the white painting overalls. He says goodbye to his wife and makes his way to the Sprinter. The company motto is printed in large letters on the vehicle: "Quality without compromise". "We tackle every job with this in mind," says Kämpflein.

His 15-year-old daughter Sina sits in the front passenger seat. Her father wants to drop her off at home on the way to the construction site. When Thomas Kämpflein arrives in Niederelbert, he briefly climbs out. "I wanted off to show our joint project," says the master painter, and laughs. Sina Kämpflein leads us to her room. The high school student has set up a small make-up area. Father and daughter designed the wall above the table together. "We applied lime plaster with many different textures to achieve this," explains Thomas Kämpflein. "It gives such a great effect." He looks at his watch. Kämpflein wants to be on site with his employees in ten minutes.