In our latest edition of Snackbox, André Kilian, Head of Dispatch at Thomas, is in front of the microphone. He has been with the company for over 13 years, starting his career as a clerk and then seizing the opportunity to take on this varied and challenging position.
The work of his nine-person team can be stressful at times, but it is also incredibly exciting, because: “Everything that is produced in manufacturing passes through our hands,” says André. Of course, the goods have to be picked, packed, and handed over to the carrier. That may sound easy, but in reality it is very complex. On the one hand, because a lot of paperwork is involved: bills of lading, delivery notes, customs documents, etc. Secondly, because every customer has their own requirements: from the choice of shipping company to the type of packaging and the delivery window.
Flexibility and teamwork, making the right decisions in a short time – that’s what’s important. When problems arise, they have to be solved immediately; there’s no time for working groups, says André. “The trucks are gone again after half an hour, whether we’ve loaded them or not.”
Shipping is therefore customized for each customer – and André and his team move huge quantities of goods every day. By road, rail, water, and air. Once, he says, they even used a helicopter because it was so urgent. The team has an optimal overview from their open-plan office: „On one side, we have a view of the warehouse area, and on the other, we can see the trucks. Throughout the day, things gradually build up until you can hardly move. And at the end of the day, you have so much space again that you could play soccer. That’s when you know what you’ve achieved.“
He finds a balance to his stressful job in sports: formerly track and field, now kickboxing. He is also active in working with children and young people. And even after 13 years at Thomas, he still feels at home in Herdorf. “I still have the feeling that this is a family business and I feel like part of the family here. Growth and development are possible here, you get appreciation for what you do, and you also get support.” And his favorite snack? Chocolate, without a doubt. His favorite comes in the form of a candy bar or ice cream.
If you want to know exactly which candy he means and learn a little more about shipping at Thomas, Andrés background, and his goals in the company, just listen in.
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