Masonry Magazine January 2007 Page. 59
The Beginning of a Legacy
NON STOP BEGAN in 1975 and has become an industry leader in adjustable scaffolding - also called climbing, elevating or tower scaffolding. A visit with Breithaupt, now 76, shows a man who has built elevating scaffolding for more than 30 years now, and who is just as passionate about masonry and job efficiency as he was 50 years ago. Breithaupt's philosophy has permeated every aspect of the way Non-Stop does business.
I've laid brick all my life," he said. "My father was a life-long mason contractor, and I worked for him many weekends and every summer, as far back as I can remember, so did my three brothers. So, it was only natural that I would go into the business after college."
In the early '50s, the residential construction industry was at its height and contractors had all the work they wanted and more. Breithaupt recalled, "Looking back now, I realize we had it pretty good."
Ten years later, as his business grew, Breithaupt switched to commercial work. "That was a whole different ball game," he said. "A lot more paperwork, long waits for your money, ornery job superintendents, a lot more headaches - but better money if you could wait for it.
"We were making money, but I was spread as thin as could be. If I were going to make more money, it would have to be on the work I had, not by taking on more. I had to cut costs."
At that time in the '60s, rough terrain forklifts first appeared, and Breithaupt saw right away that one of these machines could easily replace two laborers. The money saved was instant profit.