Today was an exciting day; we went on our first company visit! We departed extremely early at 7:15am. All of us were exhausted and slept on the bus until we got there. Around 8:15am we arrived at Hoerbiger. Immediately the whole group was welcomed, and they showed us to a room where we got some background information about the company. We found out this factory specifically specialized in making technology for early born babies, eye surgery, and hydrogen tanks. This was interesting to learn about an industry I am not familiar with. We learned about the product’s raw materials, design, assembly line, testing of the product, selling, and so much more. After our informational session we split into 4 groups and toured the factory. Although it was smaller than I expected, it seemed very high tech and sophisticated. We even had to wear white lab coats and protective shoe covers.
After this visit, we drove to another factory in Hoerbiger that was only 5 minutes away. This factory specialized in making a product that is crucial for gear changing in a car. We got to tour the entire factory (which was huge) and then eat a nice lunch. After this we listened to two workers speak about the business aspect of the company as well as the automobile external factors. I found this more interesting than the factory tour as I understand and am going into business. The tours were more of an engineering aspect of the business. Overall, everyone was so kind, intelligent, and interesting. As for a more futuristic aspect of the company, I believe they need to improve their plan of coping with the constant changes of the world. Although no one can predict the future or have a perfect plan, they seemed to have a confusing plan for the future.
After this we went to the Swiss Alps. This was an unreal experience. It was raining and so I was definitely worried that we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the view. We did some shopping and the weather cleared up. We were able to ride the gondola up… the view is breathtaking. I’ll allow the picture to do it justice.
After this the girls and I grabbed dinner at an authentic German restaurant. It was nice to all talk and get to know each other more. For dinner I had dumplings and pork. Although the dumpling was not what I thought it was, it was still good. Then after met up with the group and took a bus home! We were all drained so instead of exploring the nightlife here, we decided to call it a night. Tomorrow, we have our second company visit.
Talk Soon
Kat