"Geberit is very social"
Four decades in production
Sonja Bruhin has been working in production at Geberit in Rapperswil-Jona for 40 years. Thanks to her excellent memory and flexibility, she has always been able to adapt to changes.
Sonja Bruhin, how did your journey begin?
I have been blind since birth and after attending a school for the blind, I went to a vocational training centre in St. Gallen to find out what kind of job I could do with my handicap. An office job was not an option. Through friends, I was able to gain my first work experience at the Weidmann company in Rapperswil.
And when did you come to Geberit?
That was in 1984, when I was 23 years old. At first, I worked on the conveyor belt and manually assembled the small parts for the filling valve. To help me get a feel for the spacing of the parts on the conveyor belt, my boss attached adhesive tape to the belt, which I could feel better. When this assembly line was outsourced to Pfullendorf, I transferred to Geberit Apparate AG 13 years ago. I work in the shower toilet area, where I am responsible for packaging and pre-assembly work on the welding machine.
What have been your biggest professional challenges?
I aim to work reliably and conscientiously. To do that, I need to be able to perform my job blindly, so I can feel things. If I have to operate a machine for a work step, I need support. But that has never been a problem. Geberit is a very social company. People here are very helpful.
What changes have you seen in the company over the past 40 years?
I have noticed that many product parts and packages have become much more compact, lighter and easier to handle. In the past, there was a lot of material in large boxes or crates. Today, they are stored in small containers on shelves in a fixed place. This order and structure suits me very well.
What personal achievements are you proud of?
When colleagues are on holiday, I sometimes take on tasks that I remember from the past. It makes me very happy when I realise that I can still recall the individual steps. I have a good memory.
What dream would you like to fulfil in the near future?
I expect to retire in a year or so. I don't yet know what will come after that. I would like to have a guide dog by my side again, because my last dog recently passed away. Unfortunately, the waiting time for a guide dog is long, but I am on the waiting list and feel confident.
