We@Wilo with Nils Mannebach

Hello Nils, it's great to have you here at We@Wilo today. Who are you and what do you do here?

Well, first of all, thank you for having me at We@Wilo. My name is Nils Mannebach. What do I do? I am a team leader for two areas in the electronics sector. One for the SMD area and one for the module final assembly, which we can already see here beneath us.

Could you perhaps explain what SMD exactly means for the non-experts among us?

SMD means Surface Mounted Device, which means we manufacture the circuit boards or PCBs in this area, which everyone knows from their TV or computer. They are assembled here and later turned into modules in the final assembly area, which later leads to the frequency converter that we attach to our pumps as a control unit.

Now you said you are a team leader. Can you elaborate a bit more abot your job as a teamleader? What are the daily topics that concern you when you come to the factory in the morning?

At the top of the list is always the human factor. I ensure, together with my teams, that the employees feel comfortable here and can pursue their work. Everything that belongs to the factory. We have, for example, our WPS system (Wilo Production System), our production system, which is part of it. But there is also a lot of personal aspects involved. Yes, those are the main tasks.

Could you give the reader a brief insight into how you actually came to Wilo?

Well, I started my training here in 2003, but I was already here a year before as an intern for three months. It was required after my technical college degree in electrical and metal engineering to do a three-month internship to be able to go to university later. During the internship here, I was able to ignite some interest in myself for a technical profession. That wasn't the case before. I was always more oriented towards music. The internship really led me to decide to first do technical training and then see what to do next. In 2003, I then started my training in an electrical workshop here.

Could you tell us a bit more about how things went for you after the training?

Yes, gladly. The training ended after three and a half years, and I got the offer from Wilo at that time to complete a dual study program. I then started studying electrical engineering and during the time of my studies, I always worked here in Process Engineering Electronics. I was always deployed here and gained many insights into what today's tasks involve. After the studies, I took on the role of technical supervisor, which also involved a three-shift operation. I quickly took on the role and responsibility of shift supervisor. Shortly after that, I was appointed production coordinator and asked if I could imagine taking on the role. That was really good. I was offered a nice opportunity and the next step followed, where I took over the team leadership for the module final assembly area. For about one and a half years now, I have also taken over the second team leadership for the SMD area.

Is this also what you want to pass on now? For example to trainees or your employees?

In my area, I actually have a former trainee who was already with me during his training period. I advocated strongly for him, just to give something back. And yes, he gives me a lot back as well. He has been with me for about a year now and has just started or has just begun his master school. So he also wants to give something back to Wilo, wants to develop further, and those are the points where I say, I definitely want to pass on the development.

What have been the main points over the last years where you say, that's why I'm here at Wilo?

So definitely for me, the focus is on identifying with Wilo. Simply also in terms of Wilo staying here at the Dortmund location. Here, a tremendously great factory has been built. I believe we present it to the outside world very well. That's a topic that is not taken for granted. I have many friends whose companies have gone bankrupt or moved abroad. And that is definitely a fact for me where I say, Wilo has stayed in Dortmund and North Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany. That's really nice. And yes, then the fact that everything here is tremendously familial. I really enjoy walking over the Skywalk or being in the bistro and meeting many people from the training or from the daily business. You talk to them, drink a coffee with them, and have nice and pleasant conversations, even friendships that develop and have developed. Yes, and the third aspect for me is this connection between work and family. And there's one fact that has really stuck in my mind throughout the corona pandemic. I was part of the corona task force myself and I have to say honestly, what Wilo did for the employees during the pandemic, that's a tremendous amount of appreciation we received. I gladly give back this appreciation. And that's something for me where I say, it's not taken for granted to have a test center here, to be released if you have corona. That we wore these Kinexons to be able to track who had contact with whom, especially for us in the production. That's really a thing where I say, yes, I identify 100% with it.

What are your hobbies to relax, to recharge, to come to work with full energy again the next day?

Yes, that's actually what I said at the beginning. Music has always been a topic for me and I have to say honestly, music is still a big balancing point for me, to come down a bit beside the children for myself, to simply switch off a bit from what happened here during the day or over a week. That you do something with the band on the weekend. I'm a drummer and you can just let off some energy.

Thank you, Nils, for giving us so many insights into your workday, but also into yourself as a person. I think you were able to give the reader a good insight.