Modern Steel Construction - June 2021
Century Club: Stupp Brothers
Geoff Weisenberger 2021-05-07 03:01:04
AISC is 100! And we’re featuring our longest continuously running member fabricators throughout 2021.
IN CELEBRATION OF AISC turning 100, throughout the year we’re highlighting member fabricators that are even older than we are.
This month’s century clubber is Stupp Bros., Inc., a family-owned St. Louis fabricator whose origin predates the Civil War.
Answers provided by Phil Stupp, executive vice president of Stupp Bros., Inc.:
How and when did your company start?
My great-great-grandfather, Johann Stupp, was a guild-trained blacksmith in Köln (Cologne), Germany, and immigrated in 1854. He was originally opposed to leaving because he felt he had the talent to make it in his home country even though economic conditions and religious persecution were troubling. But persistent letters from fellow guild craftsmen encouraged him to come to America, where the opportunities seemed endless. Within two years of landing in New York, Johann Stupp was in business for himself.
Your company has been able to weather challenges for more than a century and a half. How has this helped you weather the current pandemic?
Johann lost the business during the panic of 1873. This taught him and all family members that followed to stay conservative and build adequate reserves. The current pandemic and energy slump are just as severe as the Great Depression was for Stupp, but we have the financial strength to get through to the other side.
What’s the best business advice you’ve received from past leadership at the company?
“Don’t burn your bridges.” This was the best advice my father, Robert, gave me. Whether personal or business, always keep an open mind when it comes to rekindling a relationship that has once gone bad.
AISC is 100 this year. How long has your company been involved with AISC and taken advantage of its resources?
Erwin Stupp served on the AISC board of directors from 1939 to 1965 and was its treasurer from 1957 to 1963, so we’ve been very involved for a very long time.
For more content related to AISC turning 100 this year, visit aisc.org/legacy.
Geoff Weisenberger
(weisenberger@aisc.org) is senior editor of Modern Steel Construction.
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
1921–2021
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