History of George Weis Company
The history of George Weis Company dates back to the mid-1860s when Peter Weis, a German immigrant, started a small residential plastering, whitewashing, and concrete finishing company. Plaster was the premier ceiling and wall building material in the United States at that time, and Peter brought his knowledge of the trade to America. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, Peter returned to his trade and continued to produce a quality plaster product that homeowners cherished for its durability, which lasts a lifetime.
Peter’s sons and son-in-laws joined the crew, including William Weis, who later took over the leadership to continue the tradition of producing high-quality plaster products for the residential markets.
William’s sons continued the plaster trade, with George Weis becoming the company’s namesake.
In 1946, Robert Weis, the fourth generation in the business, joined his father George, and the company began to shift gears to tap into other markets. Initially starting with drywall installation, taping, acoustical tile ceilings, and spray-fireproofing, the company eventually moved into light gauge steel studs. This expertise opened up an entire new field: commercial construction, which encompasses the entire St. Louis Metropolitan area.
As an alternative to stucco, EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish System) became the exterior finish of choice for many projects. This enabled commercial construction to have an alternative to brick and stone, providing greater flexibility in design and affordability.
In 1992, the company was owned and operated by representatives of the fifth generation of the Weis family: Mark Weis and his brother, Michael, who took over when their father Robert Weis retired. In 2010, Mark’s son, Ryan Weis, joined the team as a project manager/estimator, ensuring that the Weis family is well into the sixth generation of dependability, loyalty, and trust that it has earned in the last 150 years.
The company is currently owned and operated by Ryan, who is the son of Mark. Frank Simek, who is Ryan’s cousin, serves as the Vice President. Frank and Ryan are proud representatives of the sixth generation in the business.
With their shared family values and goals, they are leading the company towards a bright future of success and growth.
Ryan Weis
President
6th Generation Family Owner
Frank Simek
Vice President
6th Generation
George Weis Company has gone to great strides to ensure the highest quality of work, committing to meet the needs of the customer, and has grown substantially over the last 150 years to become one of the St. Louis region’s premier commercial and residential specialty contractors. The company’s vision is to continue to specialize in interior and exterior finishes, such as plaster, EIFS, drywall, interior/exterior metal framing, and acoustic ceilings, for generations to come.
*The 1904 Weis Family Plastering Crew picture was taken when a concrete curb was constructed in Millstadt, Illinois in 1904 in front of Catholic Parsonage. Weis family members on the picture are: starting at right side of picture, William Weis, Sr., son and manager of crew; Peter Weis Sr., father and founder- shown with trowel; Peter Weis, Jr., son with hoe in mixing bin; and Edward Weis, son shown in foreground and on the street side of construction.