Thanks to her successful apprenticeship at OPHARDT Hygiene, Julia Thomas already has a solid knowledge of the various departments at a young age. This benefits her in the current position as Purchasing Manager for the OPHARDT sites in Germany and Switzerland.
From zero to one hundred – this is probably the best way to describe Julia Thomas’s initial period at OPHARDT Hygiene in March 2020. It was the phase when the Corona pandemic really picked up speed, and the production at the Lower Rhine hygiene company was running around the clock at full capacity. Her start at OPHARDT was actually planned for the beginning of her apprenticeship in August 2020. However, the special circumstances meant that Julia joined the company earlier than planned and during the “pre-training phase,” she supported both customer service and logistics in rapid processing.
Apprenticeship at OPHARDT as an Industrial Clerk
In the summer of 2020, the official apprenticeship at OPHARDT as an industrial clerk began. During this two-and-a-half-year period, Julia got to know a wide variety of departments and tasks, which also led to her having a very good understanding of the interconnections within the entire organization today. “Through my apprenticeship at OPHARDT, I know many employees well and have been able to acquire a decent background knowledge of the processes in the various areas,” Julia describes the benefits of her apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at OPHARDT.
Even during her apprenticeship, the native of Hartefeld developed an increased interest in the purchasing activities at OPHARDT Hygiene, so that after successfully completing her Schon im Laufe der Lehre entwickelte die gebürtige Hartefelderin ein verstärktes Interesse für die Tätigkeiten im Einkauf bei OPHARDT Hygiene, sodass sie nach der erfolgreich abgeschlossenen Ausbildung im Januar 2023 dort direkt „Fuß fasste“ und eine unbefristete Festanstellung erhielt. Übrigens: auf die Karrieremöglichkeit bei OPHARDT ist Julia durch ihren Freund aufmerksam geworden, dem das Unternehmen als Ur-Issumer ein Begriff war.in January 2023, she immediately “got her foot in the door” there and received a permanent position. By the way, Julia became aware of the career opportunity at OPHARDT through her boyfriend, for whom the company was well-known as a native of Issum.
Julia Thomas with lots of Internal and External Contact
Her daily work includes, among other things, obtaining and comparing offers as well as managing purchasing conditions. As a manufacturing company, OPHARDT purchases numerous raw and processed materials, such as stainless steel coils for the production of high-quality dispenser housings of the SanTRAL® brand. Therefore, purchasing is in constant contact with various suppliers. In addition to the main communication channels of telephone and email, personal supplier visits also take place at regular intervals to get a more accurate picture of the situation on-site and to strengthen business relationships. “Obtaining offers, analyzing prices, and checking deliveries. These tasks are part of my day-to-day activities,” Julia describes her typical workday.
In addition, Julia is also closely connected internally with the various departments at OPHARDT, primarily the production-related areas such as maintenance, assembly, or logistics. Moreover, the trained industrial clerk works with other OPHARDT Hygiene locations, especially with the branch at the Philippines and those in Europe, including Switzerland, Belgium, and Ireland. For the OPHARDT Hygiene AG in Switzerland, Julia and her supervisor are even directly responsible for purchasing.
OPHARDT Focuses on Sustainability
Looking to the future at OPHARDT, the active tennis player is pleased with the developments and corporate activities in the area of sustainability, such as the planned installation of a photovoltaic system at the company’s location in Issum, which is part of a series of “green initiatives” within the organization. Already today, more than 75% of the purchased electricity comes from renewable energy sources, and the OPHARDT corporate group has already generated over 570,000 kWh of electricity through existing photovoltaic systems.
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