An exciting day for our guests from the training programme: we recently had the pleasure of welcoming 16 trainees and their trainers Phillip Albers and André Cochet from the company Vrielmann at our plant in Rinteln.
The day began with an introduction by our team and a factory tour, during which the visitors were able to gain a first impression of our production processes. Managing Director Georgine Scheidt then welcomed the group personally and gave exciting insights into the history and philosophy of our family business.
Understanding concrete - from theory to practice
The day was led by our concrete technologist Eike Hilker, who explained with great passion and expertise how concrete is created, what makes it strong - and how to recognise its quality. He also demonstrated various test methods that can be used to assess the quality of concrete. The picture shows how such a test is carried out.
Our visitors were given a comprehensive tour of the factory, where they were able to experience every step of the production process at first hand: from mixing the raw materials and moulding to the finished component. The practical quality checks carried out by the trainees themselves were particularly impressive.
The programme was supported by Nikolas Heise, HR Business Partner at Scheidt, who accompanied the group and was available to answer questions about training and collaboration.
Training meets practice - exchanging knowledge and learning from each other
Another exciting item on the programme: our apprentice Johannes Schütte, who is currently training to become an electronics technician, gave the guests a tour of our finishing hall. There was not only technology to touch, but also interesting discussions about training, prospects and everyday working life at Scheidt.
In the warehouse, the Vrielmann trainees also discovered one of the switchgears that they had manufactured themselves in their company and which is now being installed in a station at our company.
Conclusion: A day full of impressions and expertise
The visit was a complete success for everyone involved. Our guests from the Vrielmann training programme were able to experience concrete from a new perspective - practical, informative and with many aha moments.
It was also a pleasure for us at Scheidt to familiarise committed young people with our trade and to show them what is behind our high-quality concrete stations.
A big thank you to the entire team at Vrielmann for the visit - and of course to all our colleagues at Scheidt, who made this day possible!
Concrete knowledge - A look at history
Even the Romans built with concrete!
Over 2,000 years ago, they were already using opus caementicium, a precursor of today's concrete - a mixture of lime, volcanic ash and water. Many buildings such as the Pantheon in Rome still stand today and show how durable this building material is.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, knowledge of this material was forgotten.
Only in the 18th century experiments were carried out with hydraulic lime and new cement mixtures.
- 1756: The British engineer John Smeaton uses hydraulic lime for the first time to build the Eddystone lighthouse - the forerunner of modern cements.
- 1824: The Englishman Joseph Aspdin patents Portland cement - and lays the foundation for concrete as we know it today.
Since then, concrete has developed into one of the most important building materials in the world - versatile, durable and innovatively developed.
