Meet Youri, our Operations Intern
Youri is 25 years old, lives in Beek, and has been an operations intern at Nedlin Industry in Hoensbroek since September. He is studying Technical Business Administration at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven. Youri is particularly interested in logistical processes. That's why, before starting his bachelor's degree, he completed a vocational education in Logistics. Now, he is doing a full-time internship and conducting various analyses for his graduation research.
The story of Frank
Nedlin handles laundry services for Healthcare, Industry, and Hospitality. But who are the people behind Nedlin who ensure every day that the laundry for our clients is taken care of? What exactly do they do, and what do they enjoy about their work? We'd like to introduce you to our colleague, Frank de Moor. He is a shift leader (production manager) at Nedlin Industry.
Who is Frank? I am 57 years old and have been working as a production manager in the industrial division of Nedlin for about 12 years now. I live in Heerlen with my girlfriend and have a son and a daughter. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, especially progressive rock, jazz, and fusion. Additionally, I like watching movies and tinkering with my vintage car. I am a proud owner of a Volkswagen Buggy.
"I started at Nedlin in the early 90s. It was still very small-scale back then, just one laundry facility with a store attached to it."
Shiftleader at Nedlin, what exactly does that entail? You have the responsibility for the people on the shop floor and the production that needs to be managed, as well as all the facets associated with it.
How did you end up at Nedlin? Wow, I think I first started working at Nedlin in the early 90s. I did that for 12 years and then stopped to be at home for my children. I stayed at home for 4 years, and then I returned because Simon Roelofs, owner of Logilijn, told me that Nedlin was still looking for good people. Björn Frijns was the Plant Manager back then. I did indeed return and during that second period, I further developed myself into a production manager. I went through various positions in production and have been a production manager for about 12 years now. At the moment, I am responsible for the laundry department and the personal laundry. Personal laundry refers to the laundry of people residing in care homes. So basically, clothing like yours and mine at home. We also handle that laundry.
In my first period at Nedlin, I started in Hoensbroek in the laundry department. It was still very small-scale back then, just one laundry facility with a store attached to it. In that store, private customers or small businesses could drop off and pick up their laundry. Additionally, we did laundry for monasteries and small care institutions. After a few years, I got the opportunity to take a course in laundry technology in Delft, which eventually led me to grow into a 'laundry master,' as they called it back then. More employees joined, which required leadership on a small scale. At that time, I supervised about 5 people.
What do you enjoy most about your job? What I enjoy most is that my work is not static. Every day brings new challenges. You have to quickly and effectively solve all the issues you encounter, which works well in the dynamic environment we operate in. Additionally, the process in Hoensbroek is more extensive than at the other 2 locations. That's because the clothing in Industry is often personalized. Piet's work clothing, for example, must be returned to Piet after washing. In Healthcare, the laundry is often departmental and size-based, but not personalized. So, that also brings its own challenges. What I appreciate is that I have the freedom to shape things my way and to utilize all the knowledge I've acquired for this purpose.
What character traits make you really fit in here? You really need to be a busy bee to enjoy it here. And that's why I fit in well; I enjoy keeping busy. Also, I have an affinity for technology, which often comes in handy in my job. Furthermore, it's very important to be able to deal with people because I manage a team. It's important to stay calm, listen well, and take your people seriously. Additionally, you must be able to distinguish between important and less important matters (setting priorities) because it's a very dynamic environment. Problem-solving skills are also crucial in my job.
Do those qualities also come in handy in your personal life? Absolutely, that affinity for technology and being a busy bee definitely come in handy in my hobby of tinkering with my vintage car.
What do our customers notice from your work? They notice that matters are handled expertly and systematically. That we not only provide solutions but also ensure they are integrated into our systems.
"Our current directors used to clean the laundry every Saturday."
Since you've been with Nedlin for quite some time, do you have any interesting anecdotes or stories from Nedlin's past? What might be interesting to mention is that our current directors, Luuk and Stef de Win, used to come here every Saturday to clean. Their father, Erik, was the owner at the time and was already very innovative for that era. Luuk and Stef also share that trait, and I find that beautiful. The drive for innovation is very strong at Nedlin. For example, Erik (the father of Luuk and Stef), along with another party, developed the Netweb. This was a system to ensure production. And dotcode (the predecessor of barcodes and current chips in clothing) is another example. These were small dots printed in a square on clothing, which could then be read with a camera. By holding it under a camera, the data could be retrieved in the computer. Sometimes, I still come across clothing items with that dotcode from long-term customers. It's very nice to see that again.
