Record about our visit at 'Bardusch'
On 18th January 2013, we visited the medium-sized company “Bardusch“ in Karlsruhe so we could gain an insight of what the daily production process in a business is like transferred onto real life.
When we arrived in Karlsruhe, we were welcomed by two apprentices of the company who accompanied us to the corporate building. After a quick greeting by the management, the apprentices gave a short presentation about their business.
(Click here to view the big photo)
We learned that Bardusch is a laundry company that predominantly washes work clothes for facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes etc. However, the company also washes clothes of people who are unable to wash themselves, e.g. elderly or disabled people. The company employs 600 workers in total, thereof 300 in the laundry department.
After the presentation, we were given questionnaires that we were told to fill out during our factory tour. Our class was divided into two groups that explored different departments of the company. The tour was guided by two apprentices as well.
First of all, we inspected the community health department. Here, textiles such as bed linen, towels and gowns are being washed and ironed, mainly for facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. In this department, 4000 kg of laundry is being washed per hour.
(Click here to view the big photo)
Afterwards, we moved on to the department in which laundry for private use is being washed. In this department, every customer has his or her own box in which the laundry is stored, ready for delivery.
The next section that we explored was the „white section“, followed by the washing system. In the white section, we could see the laundry being ironed in different ways: shirts were being stretched upon hangers in order to get „bloated“ – that way, the crinkles in the shirts were being removed.
The washing system was very impressive as it consists out of a huge machine line-up – our guide informed us about the fact that the acquisition of this machine ran up a bill of approximately 1 million € for the company.
Last but not least, we inspected the „dirt section“ in which dirty laundry is stored, and the „dryer section“ in which the laundry is being dried after the washing process. Then, our tour was finished.
(Click here to view the big photo)
After lunch, we regathered as a group and compared the results of our questionnaires. We also discussed a few questions regarding to the company. Eventually, we said our goodbyes and returned to Wiesbaden.
In conclusion, we can say that we liked our visit at Bardusch a lot. The most astonishing thing for us to see were the many workers in the different sections of the laundry department. Seeing these workers carry out tasks that are physically challenging in such a determined and reliable way truly impressed us and made us realize that every single worker contributes something to the business and must be appreciated.
Furthermore, we were pleasantly surprised by how well we were being treated at Bardusch – everyone was very kind and open for questions. Also, the factory tour granted us a great insight into the „inner life“ of a business in reality.
As a result, we can say that a visit at Bardusch can definitely be recommended. We enjoyed our time at the company very much and are grateful for this experience.
Anna Bohrer
Stand: 02/2013
