Today was our first day of company touring, and as such we toured two manufacturing plants for a company called Hoerbiger, hence the title (Im working on 4 hours of sleep). The company itself is medium sized, with around 5,000 employees and over a billion euros in sales. Hoerbiger also just so happens to be the company that I have been assigned to do a presentation on next Wednesday, so I came with many questions and open ears. The first factory that we toured was focused on creating chips that controlled valves in technologies such as ventilators, laser printers/cutters, industrial-grade valves, and many more. When we got to the building we immediately had a meeting in one of their conference rooms where we discussed the company’s competitors, suppliers, values, and product specialties. While talking about their suppliers they mentioned how they ended up buying out one of their suppliers, since that company supplied them with an essential component to all of their products at this factory. They bought the supplier so that they could add that firm to their group and streamline their manufacturing process and make it more efficient, which is a brilliant and very interesting business strategy. After finishing our little meeting we got a tour of the actual plant. I was fascinated by their attention to cleanliness, for they made us wear protective foot coverings (which left black marks all over my white shoes 🙁 how unfortunate), dust coverings over those coverings, lab coats, and had cleaning robots all throughout the plant.

They also had an incredibly complex system of monitors at every machine and station which they used to track their manufacturing process and find the source of potential problems. We then got to see the rest of the building, which had office spaces and a game room for their employees to enjoy. 

We then drove a little to their other manufacturing plant, which was more focused on the automobile industry. The main product made here were rings that went into gear boxes and synchronizers in cars. We were led through the entire process form the end to the beginning, seeing all of the different stages and machines that the rings went through. I was amazed at the complexity and sheer size of every machine. Almost every single one of them we tailor made for the company to suit their needs with the parts they were making. The only problem with these products is that they suit the automobile industry, which is continuously changing in big ways. I believe that the company will fight against this ever changing landscape by expanding into new technologies in the industry or by upgrading their product to stay competitive.

We ended the day by going to Oberammergau (a village by the Hoerbiger buildings) and seeing the Alps at the top of the mountain. The village had many cute little stores and I bought some presents for the family. I also had dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant there, watching my friend order wine and aerating it like he was some wine connoisseur (he has not had a single drop of wine in his life). The Alps were absolutely breathtaking. We were able to see the entire village from up there and many of the Swiss mountains after taking a gondola to the very top. Talking about it will not do it justice so here are some pictures:

See you tomorrow!