Engineer Metal Systems | CSI Architectural Metal

One of my proudest moments came in 2004 when, at the age of 24, I became a foreman for installing the most extensive copper roof system in Southern California at the Coronado Community Center and City Hall on Coronado Island. The following year, after completing the installation of a Zinc Wall Cladding System on the Pharmaceutical Science Building at UCSD, my wife, Michaela, and we relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles to start our own business, CSI Architectural Metal Inc.

We have been diligently providing metal panel systems all over California and have expanded our reach since 2012 to include Hawaii and several other states. Additionally, I am proud to highlight our successful partnership with Apple Inc., which has allowed us to contribute to the construction of 14 Flagship Apple stores across America.

I wanted to share a little bit about our background and how I got started in the sheet metal industry:

It all began back in 1998 when I was just 17 years old and living in Germany. In a small town near Heidelberg. That's when I first delved into the world of sheet metal, and I've been passionate about it ever since.

In 2000, when my wife, Michaela Schmidt, and I immigrated to America. I joined Local 206 San Diego Sheet Metal Workers and worked as a Journeyman for SDSMW/California Sheet Metal. During those initial years, I had the opportunity to gain experience working on major American commercial sheet metal projects throughout San Diego.

In 2004, I was fortunate enough to be hired by Ehmcke Sheet Metal, a company founded by German immigrant William Ehmcke in 1927. At Ehmcke, I had the privilege of working with top-notch craftsmen on custom high-end residential and commercial projects across San Diego’s prestigious cities, such as La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe. We used a variety of materials, including copper, zinc, stainless steel, and titanium.

My wife has been instrumental in building this company from day one, bringing her bookkeeping background from Germany to years of disciplined financial management, AP/AR oversight, and navigating the realities of running a business. In time, she stepped into what every girl dreams of becoming: the CFO of a construction supply company, bringing structure, stability, and accountability to everything we do.

Fast-forward to 2023. We decided to move our family and company to Tampa Bay, Florida, where we have been doing a lot of work since 2017, including the Orlando International Airport, and rebranded our business to CSI Architectural Metal LLC.

It's been quite a journey, and we’ve learned so much along the way. I'm excited to continue growing and contributing to this field, and with CSI Architectural Metal’s fantastic team, to achieve new milestones in the sheet metal industry.

Thanks for taking the time to read about our story!

CSI began nearly 20 years ago as Copper Supply Incorporated, a small company focused on supplying copper coil, sheet, roll-formed panels and brake metal to the construction industry.

When the 2008 recession reshaped the market, the company evolved rather than disappeared. Instead of competing in commodity metal sales, CSI shifted toward custom fabrication, engineering-driven systems, and high-end architectural work.

Over time, that evolution led to the development of proprietary systems like CSI-WAP™ and collaborations on some of the most demanding architectural projects in the country, including luxury residential, institutional, transportation, and Apple retail projects nationwide.

Today, CSI Architectural Metal LLC operates as a boutique design-assist fabrication company specializing in contemporary architectural metal systems and engineered building envelopes. Guided by craftsmanship, strength, and innovation, CSI continues to partner with architects, contractors, and owners to deliver exceptional architectural metal solutions across North America.