If I could pick one word to describe Day 3 in Germany, it would be long. Just kidding, there are countless additional words that better represent this day. However, I’m writing this on the bus ride back to the hotel after this long day, so my exhaustion is speaking. It’s definitely a good kind of exhaustion, though.
The day started at 6 AM, which is much earlier than I prefer but even worse with the effects of jetlag. However, it was the first day of company visits, so I had to be awake and prepare. The reason behind that early wake-up time is that Hoerbiger, the company that we travelled to, is located just over an hour south of Augsburg. Hoerbiger is not the company that I am analyzing for the final presentation, but I still wanted to learn as much as possible during this experience. And what fascinating experience it was! Hoerbiger operates in the fields of hydraulics and flow control. Some of their products include a small valve that control the flow of air in ventilators and parts for transmission engines and breaking systems in cars. During our visit, the friendly Hoerbiger team gave us a tour of the labs that they use to manufacture those products. These tours catered to the engineering aspect of this program and gifted me such a neat and unique glimpse into the mass production of parts and technologies. The company utilized such innovative and precise technology in their production that reduces the margin of error, increases efficiency, and turns a profit faster. I really enjoyed the tour of the production of the car parts, because they demonstrated how each smaller piece of the product was manufactured and physically put the whole part together in the end in front of us. On the business side, Hoerbiger offered multiple opportunities for Q&A about their role in the automotive supply chain and how the rapidly changing market affects them. These sessions demonstrated to me the various ways current events affect a company and methods companies enact to keep itself afloat and thriving. For instance, although the pandemic has severely harmed many businesses, Hoerbiger experienced two of its most profitable years in 2020 and 2021 due to its valve’s vitality to the success of ventilators. Additionally, with the fast increase in the use of electronic vehicles, the company will have to revise their engine parts if they want to remain a part of that supply chain. Overall, this visit was a beneficial first step in my industry analysis.
Afterwards, we visited Oberammergau, a town in a valley near the start of the Alps. Primarily, we rode a gondola up one of the tallest mountains in the area to visit the observatory at the top. When I write that this was one of the most breathtaking sites I have seen in my entire life, I truly mean it. The mediocre Appalachian Mountains in my home of Pennsylvania are nothing compared to the Alps in terms of size and beauty. I had a wonderful time taking artsy pictures of the snow-capped peaks and making as many photo combinations as possible with my fellow Pitt students and our German friends who joined us today. I highly recommend this activity for anyone who visits Bavaria and I will never forget the serenity I felt up at that peak. While our time on top of the world had to sadly come to an end, the fun didn’t stop there. After travelling back down the mountain, we had two hours to roam the small village of Oberammergau. If you try and picture a quaint Bavarian village in your head, it will probably look like Oberammergau. During my time in the picturesque little town, I visited two authentic gift shops, bought some traditional Bavarian items for my family, and ate delicious bratwurst and sauerkraut. I couldn’t help but notice the differences between Augsburg and Oberammergau. Augsburg is a bigger city with not only millennia of history, but also a large younger population and bustling popular stores and nightlife. On the other hand, Oberammergau is a very small village that, while also historical, seems to have more of an older population and consists of more single location restaurants, bakeries, and shops. Despite their differences, I really do enjoy both locations for what they offer.
In conclusion, while today was a very long day, it brought me an in-depth look into an automotive supplier and a core memory of Bavarian culture. I think that’s something to say “prost” to!