They would prefer not to let him go again. Elec­tri­cian Edwin Bevers and mechan­ical engi­neer Erwin van Dreunen are agreed on this point. When Juri Rosin, final assem­bler of the Bottle line IBC 150, swaps Lisse for Laupheim again on August 1, 2020, the three colleagues will have worked together closely for twelve months. “Once Juri goes back, we will have to cope on our own – and a year is short to learn every­thing about the IBC 150”, says Edwin Bevers.

One year is short to learn every­thing about the IBC 150.

Edwin Bevers, Elec­tri­cian at Cremer

Before the shifting of the Bottle line IBC 150 from Germany to the Nether­lands, Cremer orig­i­nally produced just the counting unit for the machine. The Exec­u­tive Board decided for strategic reasons in 2018 that Cremer should take over respon­si­bility for the bottle filler IBC 150. “That was a big surprise and I was disap­pointed to begin with because I am attached to the machine. It’s my baby”, states Juri Rosin.

Baby in good hands

So Juri Rosin took it upon himself to make sure it lands in good hands – in those of people who know which steps are needed. He seized the oppor­tu­nity to join the IBC 150 in its new home and moved to Holland in July 2019. His wife and three chil­dren stayed in Aulen­dorf. Until he returns in August, he sees them every second weekend, during vaca­tions, and through digital chan­nels.

His mecha­tronics exper­tise, which the 39-year-old has gained and applied at Uhlmann since 2014, should enable the colleagues at Cremer to produce the complete IBC 150 inde­pen­dently in the future.

Mentor and contact

That a colleague is assigned to a different loca­tion to pass on know-how is not unusual at Uhlmann. This example with Juri Rosin at Cremer demon­strates how useful this form of commu­ni­ca­tion is. “Often it is simply the case of a different approach or a different program. It is then very helpful when someone can give a quick and simple expla­na­tion at the machine”, says Erwin van Dreunen, and jokingly refers to the IBC 150 as “our adopted baby”. His colleague Edwin Bevers adds: “Personal contact is impor­tant. We don’t know the coun­ter­parts at Uhlmann. Juri is our contact. And he is one of us in the mean­time.”

And that means that the exchange between the Cremer colleagues and their bottle filler mentor is not just restricted to work. “I noticed that from the start: work and private life are not so strictly sepa­rated here. That appeals to me”, adds Juri Rosin. Going fishing with the colleagues, or an evening beer and discussing anything and every­thing are on the agenda. Usually in English, but Juri Rosin has also learnt a bit of Dutch in the mean­time. “He under­stands more than we suspect”, says 52-year-old Edwin Bevers with a laugh. He is also amused by things they have learnt other than for work: “We now know all about German beer special­ties.”

He and Erwin van Dreunen are primarily respon­sible for the IBC 150 from August. They continue to have respect for the chal­lenge of having to manage without Juri Rosin. But the link will remain: Juri Rosin can simply take a digital look over their shoul­ders when ques­tions regarding the machine arise in the future. And perhaps the occa­sional parcel of Dutch bread will make its way to Upper Swabia, a favorite of their German mentor.