cutlines: Photos courtesy Ornametals

Picture 1 – Josh Dean rolls out 3.1 inch Round Copper Downspout.

Picture 2 – Gutter Stacked fresh off the machine.

Picture 1040370 – Downspout stacked in the warehouse.

Picture 1040417 – Josh Dean and Jeremiah Denard receive the fresh gutter from the Gaspirini Gutter Machine.

Ornametals

140 County Road 1311

Cullman, AL 35058

(256) 255-0190

www.ornametals.com

German process, American production

Ornametals has a passion for historic restorations

There’s at least one successful Cullman company owner who couldn’t be more pleased that his business is in the gutters — and his customers nationwide are just as grateful.

Founder and president of Ornametals, a business that manufactures EuroGutterUSA and architectural ornaments, Guenther Huber-Delle may have originally been from Kisslegg, Germany, but he’s lived in Alabama for decades, bringing a European standard to his made-in-America company.

Today, his unique products ship nationwide.

“Our business is two-fold,” said Jenn Delle, Ornametals marketing manager. “We manufacture EuroGutterUSA, a European-style half-round gutter system fabricated in copper and zinc. The second part of our business is architectural ornaments. We fabricate custom and standardized decorations for homes and commercial buildings alike.”

But it’s what can be done with those products that excite Ornametals and their customers.

“Our real passion is found in historic restorations,” Delle said. “We have won numerous awards and have built quite a reputation for work in this field. We have worked on state buildings, courthouses, churches and historical sites throughout the United States.”

Also exciting in the early years of the company was finding just the right manufacturing location.

“We have a sister company in Decatur,” Delle said. “That (Guenther Huber-Delle) opened a few years before Ornametals. They specialize in installing high-end, lifetime roofing systems and our products. So, when it came time to build the manufacturing business, Cullman County was the most economical option and was in a prime location.”

And a prime location, she said, that called for prime products — and something different and durable.

“The half-round gutter system is the standard in Europe and is well-known in Germany,” said Delle. “Germany is also very known for its superior engineering and artisanship. Our products are no exception. Our products are incredibly durable and can withstand several decades of wear and tear before needing replacement. Several copper roofs in Europe and the US have been standing for over a century and are still strong.”

The difference in that strength is in the combination of a German process and American production, Delle said.

“We may be European-inspired, but we are also the only company in the United States with the machines to manufacture a complete line of gutters and downspouts in this style,” she said. “The magic comes from our state-of-the-art roll-forming equipment. Our entire EuroGutterUSA line is manufactured right here in Cullman.

“There are a few other companies that offer the European-style system. Still, most of them purchase their products from us or have some of them sent over from overseas. Our gutters and downspouts are made in-house.”

Made in house, and by a workforce of six who labor on the EuroGutterUSA side of the operation, shipping their products across America.

“Although we enjoy fabricating our product in Cullman County, we don’t have many local sales. Our business is mostly nationwide,” said Huber-Delle.

But the most satisfaction the Ornametals team receives, said Jenn Delle, is what can be done with the products once they are sent far and wide.

“Our biggest strength is our restoration work,” she said. “We enjoy making old things new and keeping our traditional craft alive. The fact that our small company has been able to receive nationwide recognition has been humbling, and we are truly grateful.”

That’s a gratitude, Delle said, that the company hopes will be felt far beyond the manufacturing process.

“The South, of course, is known for its great hospitality and charm,” she said. “We want all our customers to feel like they are part of the family.”