Traveling Naomi: Smart Cars and French Beer

Day Six
After a fantastic but early Chateau breakfast of warm freshly baked bread, cheese, and the best coffee I've probably ever had, we loaded onto the bus for Hambach, France to visit the one and only Smart Car Factory. We walked through the factory and were able to follow the assembly of a car from start to finish, and as we walked I noticed the incredible cleanliness, efficiency, quietness, and happy atmosphere of the factory. Smart Car is owned by Mercedes Benz, and the plant was built in 1995. One of the really cool things about the factory is that the seven suppliers they use for parts are all on-site, which allows them to send over parts as needed. The employees work 35 hours weeks Monday-Friday in two shifts, and many of the pieces like the screws are done by hand in order to fight high unemployment in the area, which was a requirement for locating the plant where it is. Smart also gets a tax break for hiring young people. Each employee has 6 different stations and change every hour to help prevent physical strain and boredom, keeping workers at high efficiency The plant makes 428 cars/day and last year produced a total of 98,000 cars. Amazingly, all these cars are already pre-ordered, so no stock is kept on-site.

Effective Policies Used by Smartcar

Bulletin board used at each station for problem resolution: shows the problem, how it was addressed, and what the plan of action is for the future. Also, uses frowney and smiley faces to clearly depict performance
Offer employees bonuses and prizes as incentives to present good ideas
All administrators have to do factory work for a week to get a feel for the conditions
Provide a kindergarten for children from 3 months to 3 years old, not only for the workers but also for local families in the area.
All employees have 5 weeks (25 days) vacation time. Three of these weeks is when the entire factory shuts down during summer.

The Smart Cars themselves are highly efficient and environmentally friendly. The paint used on the cars has no solvent or artificial chemicals. The cars have low emissions and low fuel consumption; they get about 40 miles to the gallon on diesel fuel. Smart Cars are pretty pricey, currently ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 dollars. They have also begun production of electric car that can charge in the home in 8 hours.

After the factory tour, it was time to take a tour of the Kronenbourg Beer Brewery. We grabbed a quick lunch at a mall on the way to the brewery back in Strasbourg. On arrival, we first received a crash course in beer making to better understand the ingredients and process that go into brewing beer. Next, we we shown the current facilities where the beer was brewed in giant copper vats. Then, we headed underground to get a tour of the original brewery, which was built in 1664. (1664 is also the name of their most recognizable beer.) Brewers were considered chemists, and their mark was a six-pointed star representing the elements used to brew beer and the chemical reactions that must take place in the brewing process (it is identical to the Star of David). Originally, beer was only brewed in churches for religious purposes. In the original brewery, the beer was stored in oak barrels. They had a small door that was used for people to climb inside in order to clean the barrels, but the door was so small that they had to use children. Even more dangerous was that the hot beer residue inside the barrels made the children drunk, and they were required to hold a candle while cleaning to ensure there was enough oxygen to breathe. It's a good thing we have had some technology improvements in the art of beer brewing since that time! After the tour, it was finally time for a tasting! The beer was delicious and a perfect way to end the day.

Peace, Love, and Strasbourg ~ Naomi

Pictures of the Day