Who are our floor managers?
We have several floor managers who make sure production keeps running smoothly during the day, in the evenings, and throughout the weekend. There are always two floor managers present on the production floor at the same time. This allows one to focus on planning, while the other resolves machine issues and supports or trains employees.
For this interview, we spoke with Thomas and Milan: two familiar faces known by everyone in production. These guys can be found on the floor almost every day of the week:
What does a floor manager do?
M: Being a floor manager means meeting deadlines, training people, onboarding new employees, and basically making sure the daily production keeps running smoothly.
T: We have to keep production moving at all times. Planning, training, improving processes, repairing machines, and much more. You’re constantly switched on.
What do you enjoy most about being a floor manager?
M: The connection with people. You really work together towards one goal: getting every order out the door on time by the end of the day.
T: Getting to know so many different people. There are around 130 people working in production. Besides that, I’ve learned a huge amount about all kinds of machines.
What is your favorite moment of the day, and why?
M: The 4 PM break. We’ve usually just pushed hard as a team to hit a deadline, and then we can relax for a bit with a game of darts.
T: I think lunch break. It’s a nice break in the day, and afterwards time flies by. Especially now that the PDC (Print&Bind Dart Competition) is making a comeback, lunch has become even more fun.
Do you prefer chasing deadlines or maintaining machines?
M: Chasing deadlines. I do it every single day, so it’s second nature to me.
T: I actually find the machines really interesting. I’d love to dive even deeper into them and truly understand everything about how they work.
What is the biggest challenge on the production floor?
M: Everyone has an off day sometimes. In those moments, it’s up to us to motivate people again and help them get back into the flow of production. Keeping the team motivated is really important!
T: And unfortunately, we still occasionally see phones being used on the production floor. That causes distractions, and of course that’s not what we want.
What skills do you really need as a floor manager?
M: Honestly, it’s quite simple: you need to think ahead. You have to recognize what’s happening in production and respond to it. Everyone is busy all day and production never stops. So it’s not just about noticing things, but really understanding what’s going on.
T: You need to handle stress well. We work with multiple deadlines that all have to be met. On top of that, you have to make decisions quickly. How are we going to approach something, and what do we need to make it happen?
How did you end up here?
M: I had a bit of a head start because I actually play sports with the boss. He asked me if this job might be something for me. And well… here we are!
T: I also got here through someone else: Jordy. I’ve known him for about 19 years now, and he was already working here as a floor manager. That made me think it could be a great fit for me too.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced here?
M: Moving the poster printers from upstairs to downstairs. These are massive and incredibly heavy machines, so moving them wasn’t exactly easy. Then someone came up with the idea to lift them over the balcony railing and lower them down with a forklift. A genius idea that actually worked perfectly!
T: So many things! But the one that really stuck with me was when Princess Amalia came by to pick up an order. That’s definitely not something you experience every day!
