As part of the recent Australian International Design Tours trip to Interzum in Cologne, we were privileged to spend three days with Blum at its numerous operations based in Hoechst, Austria. Not only did we enjoy some amazing Austrian hospitality, we were also given a unique insight into Blum’s operations and the company’s enviable history.
We arrived late on Saturday afternoon, having traveled from Cologne by bus. A slightly later start on Sunday saw us lunching at the Rotes Haus then a trip up the cable car at Karren followed by a 2.5 hour walk down the mountain. Dinner that night was at a stunning castle in Feldkirch.
Monday morning saw us on the bus headed for Werks 2 which is Blum’s headquarters in Hoechst. It houses administration, including marketing, and hinge production as well as a showroom. We enjoyed a presentation on the company history as well as a look at some new products featured at Interzum. Particularly impressive is Blum’s emphasis on quality, right from the very beginning of the process.
We then re-boarded the bus for a trip to Werks 3 which is the home of engineering, product development and Blum’s renowned apprenticeship program. As well as a tour of the facility, we were treated to a presentation from one of Blum’s apprentices who spoke with incredible maturity and poise for one so young – and in English, too!
Monday’s lunch was at a stunning location on the edge of Lake Constance and we all appreciated the unseasonably warm weather which allowed us to sit outside and soak up the gorgeous sunshine.
After lunch we headed to Werks 5, which houses steel stamping and nylon injection moulding. Blum produces every single part in its product range, right from the smallest ball bearings, and Werks 5 is where all the intricate pieces needed for every part are created. It’s a fascinating opportunity to see behind the scenes and really appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating the finished products we see at home.
Next stop was Werks 4 which is where runner assembly and runner production takes place. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of technology required to produce these pieces of equipment. The production lines are vast and I’m in awe of the level of organisation needed to keep track of all the smaller components as they become larger components and then become the final product.
Tuesday saw us heading back to Werks 2 for a tour of the showroom and a chance to see, touch and feel some of the new products which were released at Interzum. We then took a drive over to Werks 7 which houses the Aventos lift system production and shipping. Werks 7 is strategically located adjacent to the rail line to allow for access to rail distribution. I’ve seen this operation in action before but the complexity and organisation involved in this shipping and distribution system always amazes me. What can be automated, is, and we were able to see a truck being automatically loaded and unloaded simply with the push of a button from the truck’s driver. The palettes are scanned as they travel down the conveyor belt from the truck and are automatically shuffled to where they need to be. We also saw the awesome high-bay warehouse in action which automatically sorts and picks items for shipping as needed.
As a special treat at the end of our tour, one of our group members was offered a ride in the large “Tonka Toy” which loads the shipping containers onto the trucks for distribution. The size of the smile on his face as he climbed down was proof positive that we’re all big kids at heart.
To finish our trip on a high note, our last night’s dinner was a complete surprise. Rather than heading to a restaurant, we were taken back to Werks 2 and lead into a large open-plan area which featured a number of different kitchen set ups as well as a Test Drive kitchen. The purpose of the set up is to allow visitors to experience for themselves the functionality and smooth running motion of Blum products – so there are four kitchens here, which start at a basic L-shape with all cupboards and no internal storage and move up in increments to a kitchen fully-fitted out with the latest Blum products.
Working in teams we cooked our own dinner using each of the different kitchens and it was an eye-opening experience to say the least! A lot of fun was had and a very enjoyable dinner was enjoyed. It was such a fabulous way to end our time in Austria and we departed for the airport the next morning feeling many kilos heavier but very grateful for Blum’s efforts to allow us to immerse ourselves in its world. Thank you very much Blum!
