Community invitation to meet apprentices from Germany

JULY 16 MEDIA RELEASE__The Village of Bluffton is building a friendship with the city of Mindelheim, Germany. This Twin Towns initiative will be an ongoing process with an important kickoff event taking place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22 on the third floor of Bluffton Town Hall.

GROB Systems is hosting a meet and greet with a presentation led by six GROB-Werke apprentices who have spent the past three weeks in Bluffton.  

GROB-Werke is the parent company of GROB Systems, and they are located in Mindelheim, Germany. These apprentices will share their thoughts on cultural differences and similarities, as well as how their time in Bluffton has shaped their opinion of the United States.  

In September, GROB Systems will also send six apprentices to GROB-Werke as a part of this exchange program, and they will take part in a similar activity in Mindelheim. GROB hopes that by sharing the experiences of these individuals, we can begin to forge a bond with Mindelheim and look to grow the friendship between the two communities. 

Each year, GROB’s global headquarters in Mindelheim, Germany and its U.S. facility in Bluffton collaborate to carry out an Apprentice Exchange Program. This initiative provides apprentices from both locations with a unique opportunity to gain international experience and deepen their understanding of the company’s global operations.  

This year, six apprentices from GROB Mindelheim spent three weeks at the Bluffton facility. During their time in the U.S., they worked across various departments, gaining hands-on experience while observing the operational and cultural differences between the two sites. In addition to their professional development, the apprentices enjoyed excursions to Chicago and took advantage of a long weekend to visit Canada and Niagara Falls.

In September, six apprentices from GROB Bluffton will travel to Mindelheim, Germany, where they will be integrated into different departments at the facility. This experience will allow them to further explore their career paths and gain insight into the broader scope of GROB’s global operations. Outside of work, they will immerse themselves in German culture and will have the unique opportunity to attend Oktoberfest, one of Germany’s most celebrated festivals. We look forward to this exchange every year and are excited to hear the stories, experiences and new perspectives Bluffton apprentices will bring back with them.

The Cultural Affairs community group that we have established is a good mix from the Bluffton community. A lot of great ideas were shared during the first meeting, and we hope that we can get more residents involved as the relationship with Mindelheim evolves. 

The group's next step will be to meet virtually with the City of Mindelheim Cultural Affairs committee members to discuss how the two communities can work together to provide cultural experiences for residents of both communities.

For more information on the Twin Town project, contact Annette Heslep, GROB CFO at [email protected] or Joe Sehlhorst, Village of Bluffton council member at [email protected].