After successfully setting up the coppersmith and meanwhile four journeymen, the global economic crisis hit Josef Erne in 1929.

On October 5th, 1929, the infamous “Black Friday”, the New York stock exchange completely collapsed. A strong decline in industrial production and global trade, insolvent companies, plant closures, massive unemployment and political crises had been the result. The global economy almost stood still.

Josef Erne’s company was not spared either and he was forced to let go all of his employees. A setback for Josef Erne, who was now back at the start, with the difference, that he now had a wife and four children to look after. Due to the poor economic situation, which extended over the entire 30 years, he had to repeatedly find new activities and business areas with which he could keep himself and his family afloat. With the beginning of World War II, the situation deteriorated further, so that Josef Erne devoted more time to his farm.

The situation did not change until 1944, when some armaments factories settled in Vorarlberg and Josef Erne was commissioned to produce elbows for fuel lines. Josef Erne had already gathered some bending experience, but in contrast to the previous copper tubes, tubes made of light metal and aluminum now had to be bent. So it came about that he developed and manufactured the necessary machines, devices and measuring devices for pipe bending himself. This development laid the foundation for what today is known as Erne Fittings.