When #stayinghome is not an option
Substrate production in the face of coronavirus
Despite the coronavirus: #stayinghome is not an option for Klasmann-Deilmann’s production operations. Employees working on the peatland railway, loading vehicles or the mixing facility are indispensable. Bas Treffers, Head of Production at Klasmann-Deilmann Benelux at the port of Rotterdam, emphasises: “Our colleagues are doing overtime to ensure that the production of growing media continues at its usual pace. They are keeping not only our business going, but also the commercial horticultural sector as a whole.”
By way of response to the coronavirus pandemic, strict hygiene rules are in force at production plants: employees have been instructed to disinfect items such as keyboards, touchscreens and steering wheels after use. Face masks and contactless thermometers have been ordered. Breaks are taken in different rooms. “Separating the early, late and night shifts was important in order to reduce the risk of the infection spreading within the plant,” says Michael Perschl, Managing Director of the two companies ‘Produktionsgesellschaft Nord’ and ‘Produktionsgesellschaft Süd’ in Germany. In the dispatch departments, too, our own staff are kept separate from truck drivers. “The bottom line is that this even protects the horticultural companies that the drivers are heading for,” Perschl adds. “We are breaking the chains of infection wherever possible.”
As in other companies, longer shifts and other measures ensure reliable production of growing media at Klasmann-Deilmann Benelux.
Bas Treffers, Head of Production, Klasmann-Deilmann Benelux.
“In Schiedam,” says Bas Treffers, “we keep a list of the different roles that can be assumed by our employees. Their main role is, of course, the function that they normally have. But they have additionally been assigned to a second and third role as stand-in: if there is a bottleneck somewhere, we can quickly appoint someone to help out.”
The Klasmann-Deilmann Coronavirus Crisis Management Team holds a video conference every day. “Reviewing the situation at our production plants takes priority,” states Managing Director Moritz Böcking. “They make the difference between whether or not we can continue to supply our customers, whether or not things keep running smoothly at Klasmann-Deilmann. Despite all these challenges, we know that our colleagues come through time and again. That is something for which we are extremely grateful.”