Thanks to a slight increase in in-house production, the gravestone sector continues to be a stable source of revenue for many stonemasons. However, the fullest order books are being generated by private orders in the construction and interior design sectors. In view of negative interest rates on savings, clients are continuing to invest in a beautiful home.


According to the latest available economic survey by the Federal Association of German Stonemasons (BIV) for the 2020 financial year, the turnover of German stonemasons is distributed very differently across the individual fields of activity. Just under 55% of turnover is generated in the gravestone sector, 31.3% in the construction sector, 9.4% in the restoration & monument preservation sector and 1.9% in garden and landscape design (source: www.biv-steinmetz.de).

In the first year of the coronavirus crisis, order backlogs fell slightly in the 3rd and 4th quarters according to the survey. The average order backlog nationwide was 7.9 weeks. No data has yet been published for 2021. In view of the dramatic slump in other sectors such as automotive, textiles and tourism, stonemasons are nevertheless in an excellent position.

To get an idea of the current situation in German-speaking countries, impressions of the Veronamesse 2021 will help. After the forced break in 2020, Marmo+mac 2021 opened its doors again. Visitor and exhibitor numbers were lower than in 2019, but the mood was largely positive. The DACH region in particular recorded a high willingness to invest. Machine technology and modern equipment and tools are as much in demand as ever. Companies are particularly interested in the area of automation. This is no longer about cutting jobs in favor of fully automated CNC machines, on the contrary. Because there are far too few skilled workers available, but orders from the private construction sector in particular have risen sharply, tradespeople have no choice but to increase their production capacity with modern technology.