Industry around the clock
Industry isn‘t everything – yet they say without industry everything is nothing. How vital is manufacture really for our lives? VIVID’s reporter Maria Leipold spent a day on the lookout for ‘Products Made in Düsseldorf’ and their place in our day-to-day life.
The use of the word ‘industry’ in our daily lives has a negative connotation. Most people associate it with faceless mass production – noisy, heavy and dirty. But is that really true? Is it not possible for there to be regionally manufactured and cleanly produced goods that accompany our daily lives? I wanted to find out and aimed to see where they would pop up going through my normal, daily routine.
Morning:
Still sleepy and rubbing my eyes, I’m shuffling to the bathroom and turn the tap on. As I glance at the faucet I notice: Grohe. So there it is, the first item ‘manufactured in Düsseldorf’ of the day. And I have only been awake for about a minute. I brush my teeth and step into the shower. The shampoo is by L’Oreal, the shower gel by Henkel – both well-known names in our city.As I get dressed I reach unerringly for my tights, made by Calzedonia. Their headquarters are also situated in Düsseldorf. I am quickly making a cup of tea before I head to work. My current favourite is ‘Spanish Orange’ by Teekanne, who have been based in Düsseldorf for 66 years. Before I leave the house, I disinfect my hands and carefully put my facemask in my handbag. In the process, I reflect on how some industrial companies in my hometown have shown real commitment in the first months of the Corona pandemic:
For example, by producing and supplying disinfectants outside of the normal schedule - BASF and Henkel, for example.On my way to work a Mercedes Sprinter van pulls in before me. A quintessential Düsseldorf classic. Since the model was introduced in 1995, the Sprinter has been manufactured in the Mercedes-Benz plant in Düsseldorf. And by the way, it will shortly be available in an electric version. Up to 700 Sprinters are finished at the plant on a daily basis. Of course I do not see that many on my way to work, but I spot at least five. I also notice one of the huge construction cranes, Demag is its make. A name known to us in Düsseldorf for over 100 years. I arrive at work and take the elegant glass lift to the 7th floor. The lift was made by Windscheid & Wendel, Germany’s oldest lift manufacturer. For more than 150 years this business based in Düsseldorf has been specialising in bespoke, custom-built lifts ‘Made in Germany’.
Desinfektionsmittel produziert und bereitgestellt haben – BASF und Henkel etwa. Auf dem Weg zur Arbeit fährt vor mir ein Mercedes-Sprinter: ein Ur-Düsseldorfer. Schon seit seiner Markteinführung im Jahr 1995 wird der Sprinter im Mercedes-Benz-Werk in Düsseldorf-Derendorf gebaut. Seit wenigen Monaten übrigens auch als Elektrovariante. Bis zu 700 Sprinter verlassen täglich das Düsseldorfer Werk. So viele begegnen mir auf dem Weg ins Büro zwar nicht, aber fünf sind es bestimmt. Außerdem fällt mein Blick auf riesige Baustellenkräne. Demag steht daran. Ein Name, der in Düsseldorf schon seit rund 100 Jahren ein fester Begriff ist.Ich komme auf der Arbeit an und nehme unseren schicken Glasaufzug in die siebte Etage. Der wurde gebaut von Windscheid & Wendel, Deutschlands ältester Aufzugfabrik. Seit mehr als 150 Jahren setzt dieses Düsseldorfer Unternehmen auf Spezialanfertigungen made in Germany.
Lunchtime:
I am making a sandwich with Buko cream cheese, followed by Skyr yoghurt with fresh fruit. Both Buko and Skyr are produced by Arla, a Scandinavian company, and their German headquarters are located just here, by the river Rhine. Afterwards I wipe the table clean with a kitchen towel that also originates in our region. For over 130 years the paper plant Julius Schulte has been making kitchen towel cardboard tubes in Bilk. And they are 100 per cent recycled.
Afternoon:
Coffee break! I use this to check my social media. My mobile is made by HUAWEI, a Chinese company. But even HUAWEI orchestrate German-wide activities from Düsseldorf. And also my coffee has a connection to our city; every third coffee processing machine has come from GEA, the machinery and plant manufacturer, based in Düsseldorf.
Evening:
I’m back home and quickly put the washing machine on. The detergent is by Persil, again, a Henkel product. I also have to use the loo and swiftly come across the next product made in Düsseldorf - in 1928 Hans Klenk, the name giver of the famous, long-established brand Hakle, produced the first Hakle toilet roll here. Then it is time to get changed and put some make up on, as I am meeting with friends at the Rhine embankment. My cosmetics again are made by L’Oreal, but then I notice something else - even my perfume bottle might have come from Düsseldorf. Gerresheimer, a long-established company, has been producing packaging for the cosmetics industry, among other things, for almost 150 years. I take the tram to the city, thanks to the electric equipment supplied by the company Kiepe Electric, also based in Düsseldorf. On my way to the river bank, I treat myself to meatball roll to go, of course with a dollop of Löwensenf, our own locally produced mustard. That goes perfectly with a delicious Alt beer. A life without industrially manufactured products? Without wrapped groceries, cosmetics, transport, washing machines, electric machines and meatball rolls? Unimaginable! On reflection, I am surprised how many of the products I use daily have a real local connection. Here’s a shot of Killepitsch. Cheers. •
Words: Tom Corrinth
Pictures: PR