Sent BY NADINE

Our collaboration with Züriwerk is truly special: The Züriwerk Foundation offers sheltered employment for people, with the goal of fostering their integration and inclusion in the working world. The decision was made back in 2018 to entrust the foundation with the storage and shipping of all Neumühle products, and that was when we began to grow together as a team. This isn't to say that everything went smoothly right from the start: before every step of the ordering process was perfected, a few things had to go wrong here and there. We tirelessly put our heads together and refined our workflows. Over the years, we have managed to develop a system that ensures your order is delivered to your home as quickly and easily as possible. This local partnership also pays off on an interpersonal, social level. At the Züriwerk Foundation, people who work and in some cases also live in a sheltered environment take care of the storage, processing, and shipping of Neumühle orders. It is obvious when glancing into the packing and distribution center during busy times that companionship is just as important as the work itself. Today, we would like to take you on a visit to Badenerstrasse and to the people who make it possible for your virtual click on a product to actually become a package in your mailbox.

We have an appointment at 1:00 PM; there is a slight air of nervousness. The employees of the shipping and logistics center – the webshop department – are busily occupied with fulfilling a customer's order and engaging in lively discussions. Sitting in the middle of it all is Nadine, who has been an employee of the foundation for several years and will be appearing in front of our camera today. In 2016, with the support of the Züriwerk Foundation, Nadine began and completed an apprenticeship at a daycare center, where she worked until 2019. When she moved to the webshop, she first had to get used to a calmer working environment. The children had demanded a lot of energy from her, but the gratitude Nadine received made up for everything. In general, Nadine is not a person who likes to sit still for too long.



She also enjoys challenges. Like this summer, for example, when she made a significant contribution to ensuring that the right package found its way to its correct new home. On our absolute record day, 113 packages were packed and shipped, explains Dani, one of the three specialists in the webshop. We are all quite amazed by the number and reminisce briefly about the huge pile of orders that used to lie on the staff's office desk at that time. It was visibly growing there, day by day, until the delivery from Ticino finally arrived. But now we are well prepared for next year, says Tanja with a laugh. She also supports the employees and is an important link in the communication between Neumühle and the Züriwerk Foundation. Now, a table at the very back of the room is being cleared, and a little bit of calm is slowly returning. Curious eyes turn to Nadine, watching her as she gathers the necessary utensils needed for labeling the products. Our finished products are sent directly from production to the Züriwerk Foundation. In a first step, the goods are unpacked, counted, and checked there. If the goods pass the initial quality check under the strict eyes of the employees, they are ready to be labeled by busy hands. When the VON ALICE net swimwear arrived in crates this spring, the department briefly became hectic and loud. Hectic, because the delivery arrived a little late and a huge load of bikinis, swimsuits, and trunks had to be tagged all at once. Loud, because there is always a reason to chat. In general, it can be said that every thought here is worth speaking aloud, and sooner or later, that leads to some funny conversations.
So, when a product from Neumühle is unpacked, counted, checked, and labeled, it is placed in the corresponding bin in the warehouse, where it just waits to be picked for an order. When you place an order in our webshop, the notification goes directly to the Züriwerk Foundation. There, a specialist prints out your order and hands it to Nadine or one of her work colleagues. Nadine likes gathering the orders. Just not when the wrong products are in the wrong bin. Or even worse, if the inventory is wrong and she finds herself in front of an empty bin. Then it can happen that she is briefly gripped by nervousness. She sees maintaining calm and patience as the greatest challenge in her everyday life. If she has set herself a daily goal, she wants to achieve it. She can't use such mishaps, and she likes to voice her comments to the specialists. But it doesn't happen that often that I have something to complain about, says Nadine with a grin.

When Nadine has found all the items for an order and placed them in a separate box, she has a specialist check them. If everything is correct, the packing can begin. Nadine carefully wraps the Dad Cap in tissue paper and secures the edge with a sticker. Her fingers know the movements by heart; she was able to perfect them sufficiently this season. Then a postcard is added, and the package is ready. Finally, it is placed on the scale and provided with the appropriate postage.



Then Nadine can place the package on the postal cart, and from that point on, its fate is no longer in her hands. Now she can turn to the next order and, if she's in the mood, join in the cheerful chatter around her. Although Nadine likes working in the webshop very much, she hopes to work in a daycare center again one day. Not only because working with children brings her a lot of joy, but also so she can put more money aside to move out on her own. In five years, she would like to move into her first own apartment; that is something Nadine has firmly resolved to do. And based on how we have gotten to know Nadine, it can be assumed that she will succeed in that, too.
Just as she succeeds today in appearing in front of the camera. Spending time together during the shoot reminds us once again how special and unique this collaboration with the people here at Züriwerk is. A collaboration that we hope will stay with us for a long time to come. Many thanks to everyone who participated and special thanks to Nadine.

Employees of the Züriwerk Foundation together with the Neumühle team in the webshop department.
Moments captured by Mpho Mokgadi.