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Your Swiss Army Knife: that’s what happens behind the gates of Victorinox.
The Swiss Army knife enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. It is not unusual for the toolbox in our trouser pockets to have helped us get out of trouble. Even MacGyver, the hero of the series of the same name, was a Victorinox fan. Ela and Yvonne made their way to Ibach in Switzerland to see what was happening behind the factory gates. Especially for secrets and things you can’t find on their website: 11 facts about Victorinox you don’t know yet:Victorinox and its values
1. Did you already know, … that each of the over 1000 employees wears a Victorinox Classic on his key ring? Each one is printed with the values that Victorinox stands for:
- Preserve and pass on value!
- open-mindedness
- Trust
- Respect
- Gratefulness
- Modesty
- Brave
- accountability
Victorinox and its employees
2. Did you knew … that employees work at Victorinox for an average of 30 – 40 years? We meet the longest serving employee. He has been with Victorinox for 55 years. He didn’t want to tell us his age. But he’s not yet thinking about his well-deserved retirement.Victorinox and Health
3. Did you know … that all employees interrupt their work 3 times a day for 10 – 15 minutes to do stretching exercises? Since the introduction of the small “sports insole”, the number of back problems has been noticeably reduced. By the way, the employees look at the Swiss mountains during their work. The plant has strikingly large windows. 4. Did you know … that all parts for the knife production are manufactured on site in Ibach?
With one exception: the corkscrew for the pocket knives. It has been manufactured in France for over 70 years. The steel itself comes from Spain. Even the packaging is produced in the factory in Switzerland.
Victorinox and its stock
5. Did you know? Victorinox operates a very large steel warehouse? They have so much steel in stock that you can continue to produce pocket knives for 2.5 years without a subsequent delivery.Victorinox and its machines
6. Did you know? That all required machines are also developed and built in the factory? The technical department, especially for mechanical engineering, comprises 50 employees. On the other hand, the accounting department is surprisingly small, with only 2 employees.
Victorinox and work by hand?
8. Did you know? … that the assembly of all large models from 110 mm is still done by hand. The error rate in mechanical production is currently still too high. 9. Did you know? … that all Victorinox blades receive their finish by hand over the whetstone? During our visit, this work was carried out exclusively by women.Victorinox and sustainability?
10. Did you know? … that Victorinox is also a prime example of sustainability?- They recover steel from recycled steel remnants, dust and sludge.
- Plastic waste that accumulates is processed into new plastic by Victorinox.
- The in-house recycling plant generates energy that heats the entire plant and part of the town of Ibach.
- Collectors on the factory roof convert sunlight directly into energy.
