Building a raft on Lake Waidsee in Weinheim
Instead of sitting at the extruder or at their desks, the PAPUREX team went to the lake last Monday – but not to relax. The pleasantly temperate water of the Waidsee was not to be crossed by a round of crawling but with a suitable floating base. The challenge was to assemble this first. In five teams of equal size, the entire PAPUREX workforce set about transforming the materials provided by an event organizer into rafts that were as stable as possible. Equipped with rubber tires, ropes, logs, and wooden slats, all teams had 90 minutes to put together their version of a floating means of transport.
The idea behind the activity was clear: the focus was on cooperation. The colorful mix of small groups also brought parts of the workforce into close contact with each other that rarely meet in everyday working life. Nevertheless, all employees at PAPUREX pursue the same goal: to be the number one hose manufacturer for individualized polyurethane hoses. The common goal of the teams was to put together a competitive raft for the race planned after the construction phase. Sometimes the technically skilled apprentice gave instructions to the commercial manager.
In the end, all the rafts withstood the (admittedly moderate) waves of the Waidsee and made it to the finish line. But it was the team that had lovingly christened their raft “scheppe Liesbeth” in the Odenwald dialect that really impressed in the race. All the other teams were left behind. After the race, all the rafts were dismantled. The organizer only uses reusable materials for events of this kind so that no unnecessary waste is produced. In line with our philosophy on sustainability, great importance was also attached to this when choosing the team-building event.
Barbecue to round off the summer day
After the physical exertions of raft building and the competitive water race, the entire team was able to round off the day with cool drinks and good food. Here, too, everyone helped together: Many colleagues brought along tasty treats such as salads, sauces, dips, sandwiches and vegetables. The barbecue and drinks were ordered on the company’s initiative from a local butcher and drinks service provider. However, the most valued player of the afternoon was our workshop manager Uwe, who not only brought along the impressive barbecue without further ado, but also took over the expert preparation of the various barbecue specialties.
After this day, the working week continued, physically exhausted but mentally invigorated, in order to implement the skills acquired directly in cooperation with our customers, suppliers, and other partners.