After the company was founded, Josef Erne was initially only a service provider. The main activities were limited to smaller jobs, such as laying or installing water pipes and wells, as well as varied repair work in the surrounding communities.

None of these tasks challenged the skills of Josef Erne. He wanted to produce something new, bring new products onto the market and prove his skills. One year after founding the company, Josef Erne registered his craft as a coppersmith.

Before he could start production, however, he had to procure the material to be processed. Copper was in short supply in the post-war period, so Josef Erne had to demonstrate his entrepreneurship right from the start. He ultimately managed to get the required material from the iron and steel works in Brixlegg, Tyrol.

The first products that Josef Erne produced as a coppersmith were crockery and cooking equipment for everyday use. He soon ventured into the production of larger vessels and finally produced “Sennkessel” (copper kettles) for cheese production. The unique thing about the hand-operated copper kettles from Erne’s production was that they were equipped with a double floor for heating with low-pressure steam.

In addition to the production of cheese, the production of fruit brandy is very typical of the Vorarlberg region, which is why stationary and mobile schnapps distilleries soon expanded the product portfolio. Josef Erne’s products were in great demand, and by the mid-1920s; the sales area covered the entire western part of Austria.