Meet Ulrich Wohlfahrt of BlackFox Burggen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ulrich Wohlfahrt. 

Hi Ulrich, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hello and Servus, my name is Ulrich Wohlfahrt. I’m from Burggen, a small village in southern Bavaria, Germany and currently living in Columbus, Ohio as an expatriate. I am here on a work visa sponsored by my employer, Hirschvogel. Hirschvogel manufactures steel and aluminum automobile parts and is one of the largest suppliers worldwide. I am a maintenance mechanic which means that I am responsible for maintaining the multi-ton press machines. 

I came to Columbus, Ohio in October 2018 for a three-month work project that brought a group of mechanics, electricians, and engineers from the lead plant in Denklingen, Germany to visit and help out the sole American plant located in Columbus. We came here to train maintenance technicians, take care of the presses and other equipment, and do organization and documentation to help the plant run more efficiently. During this time, I faced challenges at work but made lifelong friends, notably my girlfriend Lindsey. When I returned home at the end of the project, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be back in Columbus. I was fortunate to find that there was a two-year expatriate position for a maintenance mechanic so I applied for it and ended up back in Columbus in May 2019. I extended my contract for an additional year, resulting in a promotion as a maintenance mechanic planner. My work contract in Columbus finishes at the end of May 2022 and at this time I will begin a road trip across the American west for three months before returning home to Germany with Lindsey. 

My profession as a mechanic coincides perfectly with BlackFox Burggen, a company that I run with two of my best friends and create high-quality raised garden planters made of steel frames and other steel parts. All three of us work full time in mechanical and electrical roles, so our company is a labor of love. Our personal interest and professional training in working with machines and tools such as lathes, shot blasters, drills, and presses makes us experts in our craft. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
BlackFox Burggen is jointly run by Sven Berchtold, Michael Finkenzeller, and myself. We founded the company in 2015 after we tossed around the idea while spending a few weeks crammed together in a Fiat for a road trip called the Tajik Rally where we drove from our hometown of Burggen, Germany to Dushanbe, Tadschikistan. We started with almost nothing. We were using a saw and drill press of a friend’s uncle in order to build our first raised planters. We also used my dad’s workshop for welding. We paid to use machines in other workshops to make our products. All three of us threw 400€ in a pot and built our first ten raised planters. When those planters were sold, we didn’t make a single cent of profit. It truly was a labor of love but eventually, we started turning a profit. We slowly began buying our own machines and now have our own workshop. 

All three of us work full time but still bring 100% to BlackFox Burggen through hands-on labor, planning, and advertising. We also want to keep a good work/life balance without letting our company take too much from our personal lives. It is not always easy to balance everything. Our goals are creating a high-quality product and delivering in a satisfactory amount of time because we care about our customers. 

In 2017, Michael and I started Meisterschule in Munich. Meisterschule is an advanced schooling upon your respective trade or field of work. For us, it was mechanical work. There are many different areas of knowledge touched upon during this degree, such as: accounting, how to run a business, law aspects related to business, methods for teaching apprentices, physics, mechanics, chemistry, metallurgy, and multiple times of fabrication (welding, turning, milling, grinding, drilling, construction, technical design, CNC programing, etc.). It was a very tough period of time but we were together each step of the way and graduated in the spring of 2018. It was also tough for Sven since we were in Munich during the week and only came home on the weekends, so the company took a bit of a back seat. 

A few months after Michael and I finished Meisterschule, I went to Columbus, Ohio for work. The three months that I was gone were a preview of the hardest challenge we have faced as a company. When I moved to Columbus as an expatriate, we had to make a lot of adjustments. Not only did we lose one set of working hands, but we also had all of our machines and tools stored in my late grandfather’s workshop that shares space with my father’s workshop where he runs his own repair business. The logistics of matching schedules with multiple people working full-time and overtime hours was not easy. In September 2020, we found a workshop to rent as our own space. Moving into our workshop was not only much easier for logistics but also a turning point for our company. We have been able to buy more equipment, expand our product catalog, and fill more orders. 

From my remote location in Columbus, I support as best I can with computer work (construction CAD, PR, accounting, etc.) as well as social media. Taking on this role is a load lifted off of Sven and Michael so that they can focus more on the physical aspects of the company. I cannot thank Sven and Michael enough for supporting me as I experience this expatriate role while still running our company from home. A goal of mine was to set up a production and distribution location here in Columbus, however, it failed due to COVID as well as the high costs of materials and the American working hours that I have now. The idea is not completely dead yet. 

On a personal level, I have gained a lot of experience through the struggles of culture shock. Despite the wonderful time I had here during the three-month project in 2018, my eyes were opened to the American way of work and subsequent lifestyle. Returning as an expatriate meant that I was no longer a guest. Working in a foreign country brings forward a lot of challenges. Not only is there a strong language barrier, especially for a southern German like me who speaks in a Bavarian dialect more often than not, but also an adjustment to the culture. Even though both Germany and the United States are western countries, there are more differences than I had originally thought. I visited the United States for the first time in 2013 and experienced everything as a tourist. My time during the 2018 project was an introduction to how it would be for me as an expatriate. One of the biggest differences I have learned is that Germans are very straightforward which makes a lot of Americans feel uncomfortable or offended. When I returned as an expatriate, I was joined by a few other (German) coworkers so we all fumbled through the learning curve together. I have really enjoyed the memories shared with the friends I have made here. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
BlackFox Burggen produces high-quality raised planters that are fit for every garden. The design of the planters is modular so they are adjusted to every shape and size desirable. Additionally, the wall segments are customizable in both material and color. The concrete stones that we use are unique in that they soak up the sun rays during the day and keep the heat throughout the night. The paramount feature of our planters is their durability, a mark of our craftsmanship and production quality. Unlike similar products made of wood, our planters do not rot nor require plastic liners for the soil. Additionally, snails struggle to invade our planters due to the porous structure and zinc-plated steel frames. The combination of durability and customization makes our planters unique. 

In addition to our planters, we also fabricate various steel products such as: meat smokers, decorative fire pillars, grills, and customized steel furniture. 

The modular system of our planters allows for easy, cost-efficient shipment. We currently ship through DHL, UPS, and other shipping companies throughout Europe. We are currently working on international shipping. 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My father gave me good advice by reminding me that there’s always more than one way to succeed. I have also learned a lot through coworkers of mine who are older and have more experience. I think that the most important part is friendship. The strongest network I have is my group of friends. I have friends from different parts of my life (social, professional, etc.) and their different vocations come together to help everyone. I recommend making an effort to initiate and return favors because it will always come back to help you. 

Pricing:

• Raised Planter 3’x3′ $350
• Raised Planter 3’x6′ $500
• Raised Planter 3’x9′ $650
• Raised Planter “L-shape” 6’x6′ $700
• Raised Planter “Hexagon Shape” $560

Contact Info:

• Email: information.blackfox@gmail.com
• Website: www.black-fox-burggen.de
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/black.fox.burggen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackFoxBurggen
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackfoxBurggen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEGLYORoDbermUPJJo6AbQ
• Other: https://black-fox-burggen.myshopify.com/