The history of the Gschwend joinery began in the Weisser joinery in Kreuzlingen. "This is where our father completed his carpentry apprenticeship and worked together with journeyman Walter Engweiler, who was to play a major role in our father's professional career," explains Hansruedi Gschwend. Shortly afterwards, Engweiler set up his own business in "Häldeli", where he built a chalet with an adjoining carpentry workshop. Initially, he made watch cases for various watch manufacturers, but soon began to receive requests for carpentry work for new buildings, furniture production and repairs.

"After his apprenticeship, our father was able to join Walter Engweiler - he was his first employee," says Hansruedi Gschwend, "and a great friendship developed between the two of them. Unfortunately, Mr. Engweiler developed health problems and had to spend a lot of time in hospital. As the number of employees increased in the meantime, Hermann Gschwend had to take on more and more tasks and continue to run the business during his boss's absence. "As a result, our father became familiar with all the business tasks at an early stage. In 1962, he was then offered the opportunity to take over the prison joinery in Tobel. He always said that this challenge appealed to him. However, his boss, Walter Engweiler, was not very enthusiastic. Due to his health situation, he finally offered our father the opportunity to take over his joinery in "Häldeli", which our parents did in 1963".

A big step

Back then, the decision was a big step, Hansruedi Gschwend recalls his parents telling him. "But despite skeptical villagers, they got on with it and turned the small business into a medium-sized company". In addition to the five children and the household, mother Milly took care of the administrative tasks, while father Hermann often worked late into the night. "He was simply a carpenter with heart and soul."

The economic boom came at the right time and the many work orders demanded more workers. "At peak times, our father employed up to 15 people," says Hansruedi Gschwend.

With success came the first stroke of fate for the Gschwend family. "In 1979, at the ripe old age of 50, our father died of a heart attack - an immeasurable loss for us and the joinery," says Hansruedi Gschwend. "But his goodness and kindness are still unforgotten today."

His brother Hermann, also a trained carpenter, was already working in his parents' business at the time. Hansruedi himself was still in the middle of his training at the former Ammann joinery. "Hermann then took over the management and continued to run the business with the help of our mother. After my apprenticeship, I joined too."

In 2004, the next stroke of fate hit the family. "My brother fell seriously ill and died in September 2006 at the age of 52."

Hansruedi Gschwend has run the joinery alone ever since. Today, he can proudly report that the third generation - his two sons Patrick and Michael - have already learned the carpentry trade and are working in the family business.