that our initial corrugator has been under during the last couple of years . We ’ ve been required to implement weekend shifts and overtime in order to keep up with the demand for corrugated cardboard . This has placed a great deal of stress on both our machines and our employees and doesn ’ t fit in with our working culture . So , we made the decision to order our second corrugator , ‘ Vicky ,’ in March 2021 . It ’ s a Speedline from BHS Corrugated with a maximum speed of 450 meters-per-minute , which has enabled us to guarantee greater production capacity . Besides the additional features the newer model carries , its implementation means that overall , theoretically , we can now produce 500 million square meters of corrugated cardboard .”

Family focus

The second corrugator only represents a fraction of the € 100 million , five-year investment plan that started in 2018 . It has also seen the construction of a second highbay warehouse in 2019 , a new development center in 2020 and another projected plant for 2023 . Due to its physical size , technical equipment and processing volume , Zerhusen is now in the top three largest corrugated board plants in Germany , but that doesn ’ t mean it ’ s lost any emphasis on the importance of its people . Linda Stärk , Commercial Manager , says : “ Our main goal as a company , is to provide a stable working environment for our employees . We want them to be happy when they come to work , as we want our suppliers and customers to be happy to work alongside us . It takes something a little more special to survive in today ’ s competitive market .

“ For us , the employees are the heart of our company . We are a family-owned business and vow to keep it that way ,” Linda continues . “ Even if we have over 650 employees , we still try to maintain the family spirit in our daily working

Zerhusen

Kartonagen

lives . Communication is key and it works both ways , we must listen to our team members in order to understand their ways of working or hear the improvements or new ideas they bring to the table . We try to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to lead across our different programs , to