Extraordinary engineering achievements, implemented with high craftsmanship: The design and manufacture of transformers involves a large proportion of manual work, even in times of increasing automation. This is of course all the more true for service, maintenance and repair work, such as that carried out by our group member OTC in Louisville, Ohio. This circumstance probably has the same private implications for our North American colleagues as for all other technical employees: Their skills and craftsmanship are also highly valued in their free time, and their energy is often in demand.
This is what happened to the OTC team during an art project initiated by a couple in Louisville, as Robert Ganser of OTC Louisville tells us:
"As in many other cities, we in Louisville are trying to increase the attractiveness of the inner city in order to maintain it as a lively center of our community in the future. Raeann and Rick Guiley had the great idea to enrich Main Street with a very special kind of art installation: With 185 hanging colorful umbrellas and a multitude of equally colorful chairs, the street was to become "Umbrella Alley". The idea came from an art installation in Ágitagueda, Portugal, and meanwhile, some cities in the USA have also taken up the pleasant idea.
This is intended to revitalize our city center, and when larger gatherings are allowed again, the Umbrella Alley will become a meeting place and venue. Other local companies have also participated in the campaign over the past year - and of course the OTC team did their part on a voluntary basis!
Specifically, we were able to use our metalworking skills when it came to fixing the umbrellas: We cleaned, prepared, and welded the masts to which the pulley system for the umbrellas is attached. All the umbrellas are now hanging, and in the summer a mural will complete the art installation in the open air. We're all excited about this new attraction for our town.
The Umbrella Alley in Louisville is a purely private, voluntary project and has nothing to do with our daily work in the SGB-SMIT Group. But it is certainly the most colourful proof that for the employees of our group, teamwork, commitment and community spirit do not end after work!
