It’s a common scenario to read about the petrochemical executive who, as a child, had an early interest in math and science that led to a chemical engineering degree. Although Layher Inc.’s Executive Vice President Frank Frietsch had a parallel interest in mechanical engineering, he also attributes the direction his career path took to an exposure to other cultures at a young age.

A native of Rastatt, Germany — a small town in the Rhein valley at the foot of the Black Forest Mountains and close to the border of France and Switzerland — Frietsch graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from FH Karlsruhe in Germany. A student exchange program in high school to Junction, Texas — a “fascinating culture shock,” Frietsch said — several internships and visits in various countries helped shape his career choices.

After a post-graduate degree focusing on economics at FH Pforzheim, Frietsch was able to add industrial engineer to his résumé and went to work for a German Tier1 automotive supplier in Stuttgart, Germany. He started as assistant to the owner — responsible for manufacturing facility layout and acting as a liaison to the company’s U.S. subsidiary and Canadian cooperation partner — before moving to sales manager for North America.

It was at this point that Frietsch came to a sort of cultural crossroads — he was offered a position based in Birmingham, Ala., as the company’s sales manager for North America to OEM customers (GM, Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Ford).

In addition to finishing his engineering degree, Frietsch said deciding to move to Alabama was a turning point in his career.

“It made sense to do sales out of the United States, instead of flying back and forth and dealing with challenges such as the time difference,” he said.

His previous experience in Texas helped Frietsch with the language and to better understand Americans from a German point of view.

At the end of 2005, Layher, a scaffolding system manufacturer based in Germany, was looking for a successor for its U.S. operations in Houston in preparation for the upcoming retirement of then Executive Vice President Jack Poet.

“They were looking for someone who had cross-cultural experience and understood the difficult Germans,” Frietsch said.

Frietsch joined Layher first as technical and sales manager, moved to vice president and then in April took over for Poet as executive vice president. In that role, he manages U.S. and Canadian sales through the company’s branches and regional sales team.

He said interpersonal skills are key, as the communication between different cultures can result in some cultural challenges.

“There are differences in safety, security and technical information, so I help to smooth any areas of friction between the German and American counterparts,” Frietsch said. “A German and an American would approach a problem in different ways, so I have to make both parties understand that.”

Understanding business and industry well is critical when dealing with different types of customers, from highly managed industrial companies to small, three-people companies, Frietsch said.

Frietsch is focused on building a solid team with people who are self-driven and motivated to work toward a goal. His attitude toward serving Layher’s customers is based on good support and a high-quality product that is as safe as possible.

“Our products keep moving at a moderate growth rate, which enables us to continuously serve our customers while enlarging our net of representatives around the United States and Canada,” Frietsch said. “Our customers are intelligent people who realized that the quality and safety found in our long-lasting materials is a great benefit for them, and we are sure other people will realize that as well.”

Frietsch has worked a wide range of jobs in his earlier days, from cleaning staff in an Autobahn restaurant to HVAC mechanic and drafter, to bartender and bouncer. Now as an executive having worked his way up the ladder, Frietsch has learned that being personable and having persistence and patience are the most important things in any company or in any position.

In his spare time, Frietsch enjoys sports, gardening and spending time with his wife, Carla, who is from Porto, Portugal.