What Conrad Schmitt Studios does

Conrad Schmitt Studios is a privately held, family-owned decorative arts and historic preservation firm founded in 1889 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and currently headquartered in New Berlin, WI. The studio creates, conserves, and restores stained glass windows, decorative painting, murals, ornamental plaster, scagliola, statuary, mosaics, and gilding for buildings of architectural, historic, and religious significance. Its underlying technology combines centuries-old European artisan traditions with modern investigative analysis methods, including the proprietary Leptat glass etching technique patented in 1973 and the first dalle de verre (slab glass) window created in the United States in 1953. The firm holds one of the country's largest inventories of antique, rolled, imported, and original Tiffany Studio glass, and operates a purpose-built 110' x 100' single-level production facility.

The studio generates revenue through project-based professional services delivered directly to clients, with each engagement individually quoted based on style, size, materials, and production methods. Its customer base spans five primary verticals: religious institutions (the largest, with 5,000+ church projects across 48 US states), historic theaters (100+ completed), hotels and resorts, civic and government buildings, and educational institutions. Notable projects include the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom, the Pabst Theater, Philadelphia City Hall, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. Marketing is conducted through the company website, blog, downloadable educational booklets, social media, and active leadership in preservation industry organizations.

Conrad Schmitt Studios is owned and operated by the third generation of the Gruenke family, with B. Gunar Gruenke serving as President and Heidi Gruenke Emery as Vice President since 2010. The firm has no external institutional investors, has never completed a funding round, and has not engaged in mergers or acquisitions. Geographic reach extends to all 50 US states plus Canada, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico, with project inquiries generated through referrals, direct website contact, and the firm's professional network in the historic preservation community.

Name

Conrad Schmitt Studios

Legal name

Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc.

Website

https://conradschmitt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Conrad Schmitt Studios is a 130+ year old, family-owned decorative arts and historic preservation firm specializing in stained glass, decorative painting, mural, ornamental plaster, and statuary restoration for churches, historic theaters, hotels, civic buildings, and universities across the United States and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Art Restoration Services

NAICS

Painting and Wall Covering Contractors (23832), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Painting (Walls, Ceilings, Trim) (HSAGADAA), Architectural & Decorative Paints (IMAEAHAA), Trim, Baseboards, Crown Molding & Finish Carpentry (HSAPAFAD), Staircase & Railing Remodeling (Interior) (HSAPAFAF)

Keywords

• Historic art restoration
• Decorative painting services
• Stained glass conservation
• Mural restoration services
• Ecclesiastical art services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Berlin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Art Restoration and Conservation Services: Project-based fees for decorative painting restoration, stained glass creation and restoration, mural painting, mosaic work, ornamental plaster, scagliola, statuary restoration, and related fine arts conservation services for historic buildings.
2. New Design and Fabrication: Creation of new decorative schemes, stained glass windows, murals, and fine art for new construction or contemporary projects, including traditional and contemporary design styles.
3. Consulting Services: Early-stage project assistance including conditions assessment, specification development, budget assembly, fundraising ideas, and historic paint analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Conrad Schmitt Studios is an art restoration and decorative painting studio providing full-service historic conservation, restoration, and new fabrication of decorative artwork for buildings of architectural, historic, and religious significance. The studio's core offerings include decorative painting and restoration, stained glass and architectural art glass, mural painting restoration, ornamental plaster and scagliola, statuary and sculpture restoration, mosaic, interior design rendering, and fine art fabrication. These services are complemented by consulting offerings such as historic paint analysis, conditions assessment, specification development, and fundraising assistance.

Product overview

Conrad Schmitt Studios is an art restoration and decorative painting studio founded in 1889, offering a comprehensive suite of artistic services for historic preservation. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a software platform, providing decorative painting and restoration, stained glass and architectural art glass, mural painting restoration, ornamental plaster restoration, statuary and sculpture restoration, and interior design rendering services. These services are supplemented by consulting offerings including historic paint analysis, project consulting, and fundraising assistance. The studio primarily serves churches, theatres, hotels, courthouses, state capitols, universities, and other buildings of architectural and historic significance throughout the United States and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decorative Painting & Restoration
• Stained Glass & Architectural Art Glass Design, creation, conservation, and restoration of stained glass windows. Work includes traditional-style windows, contemporary designs in figural, geometric and abstract compositions, and conservation of priceless windows by artists such as John La Farge, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Mayer of Munich.
• Mural Painting Restoration Conservation, restoration, and replication of aged and damaged murals through a fine art restoration service. Uses methods that clean and preserve original artists' work while allowing its full beauty to be restored.
• Interior Design Rendering Services Visualization services to convey the vision for planned decoration or restoration projects, helping clients and communities understand the extent, style, and quality of proposed work.
• Ornamental Plaster Restoration Conservation, restoration, and replication of ornamental plaster. Frequently provided in conjunction with decorative art restoration when plaster is loose or damaged. Also includes scagliola work.
• Statuary & Sculpture Restoration Conservation and restoration of antique statuary, including seamless reattaching of broken pieces and recreation of missing portions, as well as design and fabrication of new statuary.
• Historic Paint Analysis Investigation and analysis services to document original or period decorative schemes. Results are compiled into a permanent record and guide for decorative restoration.
• Consulting Services Early-stage project assistance including conditions assessment, specification development, budget assembly, and fundraising ideas.
• Fundraising & Decorative Samples Assistance with fundraising efforts through printed fundraising literature and boards that detail project goals to help communicate the vision to stakeholders.
• Fine Art Fabrication Fabrication and installation services when outside artists or designers enlist the studio to realize their designs or conceptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 church projects completed in 48 states plus international locations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Consigli Construction Co. Specialty regional contractor with a dedicated historic restoration division serving New England institutional and religious clients. Comparable in restoration of historic buildings but on a broader construction scale.
• Building Conservation Associates: Specialist consulting firm providing historic preservation planning, materials analysis, and conservation services for cultural and religious properties. Overlaps with Conrad Schmitt's consulting and paint analysis offerings.
• Jablonski Building Conservation: Boutique exterior and interior conservation firm specializing in masonry, stone, and decorative restoration of historic religious and institutional buildings. Comparable in craft-based restoration work.

Direct peers

• Beyer Blinder Belle: Architecture and planning firm with a leading historic preservation practice (Grand Central Terminal, Statue of Liberty). Comparable as a preservation services firm serving civic and institutional clients with marquee restoration projects.
• EverGreene Architectural Arts: NYC-based decorative arts and architectural restoration firm specializing in ornamental plaster, murals, gilding, and stained glass for historic religious, civic, and commercial buildings. Direct competitor with the same craft-based service model and target verticals as Conrad Schmitt.
• John Canning & Co. Conservation and restoration studio offering decorative finishes, gilding, scagliola, and mural restoration for historic interiors in churches, government buildings, and private estates. Direct peer operating in the same niche with comparable craft and client base.

Broad incumbents

• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: National engineering and architecture firm with deep historic preservation and materials conservation practice. A broader incumbent in the same preservation services space, with overlapping church and civic clients.
• Sherwin-Williams (Architectural Paints): Large paint manufacturer and applicator ecosystem serving the same customer verticals (churches, theaters, civic buildings). A broad incumbent supplying materials adjacent to Conrad Schmitt's decorative painting services.

Others

• Bulfinch Restoration / The Cardinal Group: Historic restoration general contractor serving religious and institutional clients in the Northeast. An ecosystem participant in the broader historic restoration market with partial overlap in church and civic projects.

Regional players

• Wulff Gallery & Custom Framing (Parish Restorations): Regional stained glass studio offering design, fabrication, and restoration services primarily to Midwest churches. Direct overlap in stained glass craft services though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/conradschmittstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conrad-schmitt-studios
• Instagraminstagram.com/conradschmittstudios
• Pinterestpinterest.com/conradschmitt
• Xx.com/css_artisans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Conrad Schmitt Studios