Construction chief warns downturn will bring more pain before recovery

Construction remains in crisis, and Leyrer+Graf managing director Stefan Graf says the industry will have to endure further pressure before a recovery takes hold. In an interview with ORF Lower Austria, he also criticised what he called a lack of courage in politics.

The latest economic barometer from the Lower Austrian Federation of Industries showed a slight recovery, but construction was the sole exception. Graf said the sector was in a “valley of tears”, with companies facing intensifying competition and public-sector spending cuts weighing directly on construction activity. He expects an upturn eventually, but does not think a major reversal will come quickly.

Leyrer+Graf has operated for 100 years, having been founded in Gmünd in 1926 as a construction and carpentry business. It now works across eastern Austria and employs up to 3,000 people during the summer peak. Graf said he intends to retain those workers, describing them as an investment in the company’s future.

The company has an average of 160 apprentices and has built a training centre where they can work and learn during winter. Two employees from Vitis, Michael Pomassl and Julian Gintner, recently won bronze in concrete construction at a world championship in Shanghai. Graf said the company supports apprentices who want to compete at international skills events.

Franz Graf took over the company in 1964 after founder Anton Leyrer died, keeping Leyrer’s name in the business out of respect for him. The company grew despite recurring crises and its location near the former Iron Curtain, ORF reported.