GUNDLACH SHEET METAL WORKS INC. may be the oldest family-owned sheet metal construction company in Ohio. Founded in 1889 by Charles W. Gundlach, the Company is now managed by his great grandson Roger M. Gundlach.

Since the first power machinery was installed in their shop in the 1920's, the Gundlachs have catered mainly to the industrial and commercial sheet metal markets. However, during the 1970's, the Company expanded into the heating, cooling, refrigeration service business and the residential add/on replacement market. During this time period, a full-time mechanical engineer joined the staff. GUNDLACH is an experienced, full line Sheet Metal/HVAC/Refrigeration contractor offering quality workmanship, competitive pricing, and design/build services.

GUNDLACH SHEET METAL WORKS, INC.
    1889 --------- 1959

Charles W. Gundlach, founder of the business, passed away at the age of 86 in the spring of 1950.  As a young man, he had learned his trade with Jacob Mertz Sr., who operated a sheet metal shop on West Washington Street.  Later it became J. Mertz & Sons, and was in business for many years at that location.

After learning his trade, he was employed by Charles Ross who operated a business on Hancock Street.  During this period, he married the daughter of Carl Krueger, Mary.  Charles Krueger operated a stone quarry on Old Railroad Street.

In the spring of 1889, Charles W. Gundlach rented a small storeroom which was located on the first lot of East Park Street (to the north of Columbus Avenue and East Park Street) and decided to go into business for himself.  Later this building was occupied by W. Weichel Dairy. Eventually it became the location for the A.C. Peck Tailors.  It was torn down a number of years ago, along with the old building on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Division Street to make room for the Shell Gas Station.

According to the old journal he used to keep business records, his first charged sale was made May 10, 1889.  It was for the purchase of several pots, pans, and other utensils and amounted to $1.10.  Unfortunately, the customer neglected to pay for these items!

    Side Glances:  Throughout his life, he was a lover of animals.  He had a pet goat.  Goats as pets were not uncommon during the 1890's and to see a goat in the yard attracted no more attention than if it were a dog.  About the year 1891, the City of Sandusky planted a double row of Maple trees which are standing today around the outside of East and West Park Streets.  He did not know that goats love to eat the bark of young Maple trees.  His goat got loose one evening and did a lot of damage to the young trees in getting itself a meal.  One of Charles' most often told stories was of how he had mixed a batch of clay mud, and plastered the trees to cover the damage.

    Another favorite story was of how one evening, a customer paid him a bill amounting to $35.00.  In those days that was a lot of money.  The money was in a roll of $1.00 and $5.00 bills.  He suddenly missed the money out of his trouser pocket.  With the aid of two lanterns and his wife, he searched the entire premises trying to find the missing money.  He suddenly saw his pet goat at one side of the yard shaking its head vigorously.  It had the roll of small bills in his teeth, trying to shake them apart in order to eat them.

After five years at this location, in July of 1893, he purchased the property at the northeast corner of Hayes and Townsend Streets.  This property consisted of a one story building facing Hayes Avenue.  A one-story house was attached at the north end of the store building.  The store building at that time was occupied by two tenants.  Joseph Lazzara occupied on part as a fruit store, and Conrad Brown occupied the other part as a shoe repair shop.  The residence was occupied by Robert Michel of the Michel Brothers Cooperage. The Michel brothers had a cooperage plant in part of the old West Field, to the east of what is now Ging Street.  The purchase price of the entire property was $1,400.00.  Records state that it was purchased at a sheriff's sale.  John Immel was sheriff of Erie County at that time.

Also purchased was a two-story frame cooper shop, which stood along the northwest end of the West Field and belonged to Mrs. Adam Kuechle.  Mrs. Kuechle and her daughter conducted a small dry goods and notion store on the southeast corner of Hayes Avenue and Townsend Streets.  Mrs. Kuechle's  husband was a cooper by trade and had conducted a cooper shop for many years.  The cooper shop building was moved to the rear of the Hayes Avenue property and made into a warehouse facing Townsend Street.

    Side Glances:  In 1893, most people had cisterns with a cistern pump using rain water for all household purposes.  A few people had a water hydrant in the yard which they boxed in with straw in winter to keep it from freezing.  The Hayes Avenue property had a cistern and in the yard on Townsend Street there was a very deep well.  Many circuses rented the West Field and obtained water from this well for their elephants and other animals.  As a result, many free passes to the circus were received.

Charles occupied this residence for eight years and used the store room for his business.  Then, on March 12, 1091, he sold the property to Jacob Bookerman, who tore down the store building and moved the residence to a new location on Townsend Street where he erected a home on the property. 

On March 10, 1901, Charles purchased Lot 44, Section 105, Columbus Avenue presently known as 910 Columbus Avenue.  This lot was purchased from Mrs. Mary Boyle and her husband James.  Mrs. Boyle had inherited the property from her father, John G. Abele.  John G. Abele had purchased the property from one of Sandusky's early settlers, Eleutheres Cooke, in November 1856.  Charles erected a 1 1/2 store stone residence on the property and lived there many years.  The stone residence was torn down, and the lot cleared of all the buildings. 

 
The warehouse, formerly the cooperage shop, was moved from its site on Townsend Street and taken by night to the Columbus Avenue lot where it stands today as a part of the rear buildings on the property.  A contract was given to Jacob H. Brown to erect a frame store and residence building, fronting on Columbus Avenue.  This was completed and occupied during the winter of 1901 & 1902.

In the new store, stoves, ranges, and kitchen utensils were stocked for sale.  Later, light hardware, paint, oils, and varnishes were added to the stock.  In 1901, stores were open six days a week, and evenings till 9:00.  Gas was used for lighting, and Wellsbach Gas Burners with their gas mantle had been invented. 

The sheet metal shop was in the rear of the store building, and catered to the sheet metal trade.  In 1901, about 75% of the people in Sandusky heated their homes in the winter with hard coal stoves.  Most of the balance used either oak or hot blast stoves.  Every home needed stove pipe in the fall of the year.  As many as 1500 joints of stove pipe were fabricated in readiness for the winter's cold weather.

Everyone canned tomatoes in "tin cans", sealed with rosin.  The cans were made up in the tin shop, by the hundreds, and ready for the canning season in the fall.

In October of 1913, Mr. Gundlach purchased the property facing Division Street and abutting the Columbus Avenue property from Joseph Timple.  In 1920, a one-story sheet metal shop was erected on this property by Zeiher and Millar, General Contractors.  The shop was completely equipped with power sheet metal working machinery. 

On January 1, 1920, Charles' sons, Carl M., Edwin W., and Harold Gundlach formed a partnership with their father as a new company to be known as Gundlach Sheet Metal Works.  The Company catered mainly to industrial sheet metal work.

In February of 1925, Gundlach Sheet Metal Works became incorporated.  Gundlach Sheet Metal Works, Inc. existed as a corporation until December of 1936 when it was deemed advisable to close out the corporation and operate once more as a partnership between members of the firm.

In the spring of 1926, Harold Gundlach sold his stock to Carl and Edwin Gundlach, and moved to California.  He returned in 1928 and in 1929, again became a stockholder in the Company.

In January 1931, Charles disposed of his interests to his sons and retired from the business.  After closing out the corporation in 1936, the Company operated as a partnership between Carl M., Edward W., and Harold Gundlach until March of 1950.  Due to the fact that the sons of the partners had now grown up and were coming to the business, it was again advisable to incorporate.  Therefore, the present Gundlach Sheet Metal Works, Inc. was incorporated as of March 1950 with the following incorporators:  Carl M. Gundlach, Edwin W. Gundlach, and Harold Gundlach.  Wesley F. Gundlach, son of Carl Gundlach, and Lyle G. Gundlach, son of Edwin Gundlach, then employed by the company, became members of the firm in January of 1951.  Charles W. Gundlach II, son of Carl Gundlach, joined the firm as a stockholder in January of 1956.

After 54 years of service with the organization, Carl M. Gundlach, now the eldest member of the firm, retired as an active member in March of 1956.  Edwin Gundlach retired in April of 1956, having been with the firm for 36 years.  Edwin passed away in March of 1958.

Lyle G. Gundlach, son of Edwin Gundlach had joined the firm in 1950 and sold his interest with the firm in July of this year and moved with his family to Everett Washington and bought the firm of Everett Metal Products which is in operation today.

In 1950, the officers of the firm consisted of Wesley F. Gundlach President, Harold Gundlach Vice President, and Charles W. Gundlach II - Secretary/Treasurer.

During the course of the years, a re tinning division of the Company was in operation for the purpose of re tinning 5 and 10 gallon milk cans for the dairies in Sandusky and surrounding areas.

Also for a period of years, the Company was active in doing built up roofing.

During the following 10 12 years, the Company engaged primarily in commercial, civic, industrial ventilating work, air conditioning systems, dust and fume collecting systems, industrial stacks, machine guards, etc.  In the domestic field, the installation and repairs to furnaces, gutters and downspouts, and slate roof work, comprised prominent activity.
 
Gundlach Sheet Metal Works, Inc. was involved in the building or expansion of 45 schools during the period from 1950-1962.  These included:

Sandusky High School, Sandusky St. Mary's, Perkins and Furry,
as well as many others within an approximate 60 mile radius including Elyria High School and several elementaries, Vermilion, Norwalk, Milan, Fremont, Greensprings, Lorain, and Danbury.

Gundlach Sheet Metal Works, Inc. had also participated in the building or expansion projects of several hospitals in the area including:

Good Samaritian, Providence, and Memorial Hospitals in Sandusky,
Marion General Hospital in Marion Ohio, and others in Bellevue, and Willard.

Civic Enterprises included:

The Sandusky Water Works, City Building, Sewage Treatment Plant, and several projects at NASA.  Other projects included the Ashland City Building, Ashland YMCA, Mt. Vernon Sewage Treatment Plant, Lorain Library, and Norwalk Library.

Commercial Enterpirses included:

Ohio Bell Telephone and Ohio Edison Buildings, the Elyria Ohio Bell Telephone, Donnelly Printing in Willard, and the Reflector Herold in Norwalk.

Industrial Enterprises included:

New Departure (now Delco Chassis), Ford, Sandusky Foundry, and Farrell Cheek in Sandusky.  Other projects were completed in Lorain, Norwalk, Port Clinton, Bucyrus, Bellevue, and Clyde.

Carl M. Gundlach retired in 1955.  He was treasurer of the National Sheet Metal Association for a period of 12 years.  He also was a member the Board of Directors of the Ohio Sheet Metal Association, and served as their secretary and president. His son, Charles W. Gundlach II, served on the Apprenticeship Committee of the National Association in 1959.

The number of employees from 1889 to 1959 ranged between 1 and 27.  During these years one employee worked for 34 continuous years and one for 30 continuous years.