Issuu

Band

Tyre news

The Ultrac Pro

Italdesign & Vredestein

Style and prestige

On the Sidelines: The mixing department

Working together on optimal results!

In the world of innovation and design, there are often forerunners who pave new paths toward the future. For the past 25 years, Italdesign and Vredestein have been pushing boundaries in the tyre industry together. This is the story of two companies with a shared vision and dedication to make a change in the tyre industry by infusing the design with a touch of beauty and style. That courage to innovate is part of the DNA of both organisations!

Continuous Improvement

Our organisation is constantly developing. We often do that under the banner of Continuous Improvement! This year, for example, saw the launch of Apollo's Manufacturing Excellence Programme A technical leadership development programme forms part of this initiative. This programme was specially created to stimulate the development and deployment of top talents in order to boost the operational effectiveness and innovation within our teams. Be sure to also read Daan's article about the Quality Absolutes. Why do we want to work on quality? What do we have to do for that? What does ATQM stand for again? These are all ways to help us continuously improve ourselves and to keep developing. Our continued presence in Enschede demands it.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

I cannot stress this enough: safety is our primary concern in everything we do! That's why we organise the World Day for Safety and Health at Work every year as part of our ongoing efforts to raise everyone's awareness of the importance of workplace safety. This year's slogan - 'A safe tyre begins with a safe workplace'says it all. As a tyre manufacturer, we guarantee road safety. But ultimately, safety begins with you!

Ultrac Pro

Our new summer tyre, the Ultrac Pro, is as safe as they come. With this new tyre, Vredestein introduces a new standard for ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) summer tyres. The Ultrac Pro offers clients a tyre that does it all; from daily trips to dynamic journeys under various conditions. We're proud and thrilled to be producing this tyre at our plant in Enschede. Additionally, this new tyre marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Vredestein and Italdesign. A remarkable story about two companies with guts! Read all about it in De Band.

Enjoy your holiday

The plant's summer break will begin in just a few weeks’ time. It will give everyone the opportunity to enjoy a much-deserved holiday. I want to wish all of you - and your loved ones - an amazing summer. Our plant will face a challenging time after the summer break as part of the new global organisation. I am confident that we will continue to achieve amazing results together and will keep working on continuous improvement with the utmost regard for workplace safety. Thank you for all your hard work. Enjoy the summer!

Martijn ter Haar

13

COLOPHON

“De Band” is the staff magazine of Apollo Tyres NL. The magazine is published twice per year and is designed for the organisation's current and former employees.

Editors

The staff magazine is a publication of the Internal Communication department. Ivanka Munsterhuis, Hans Wijnsma en Nikola Kostira. Final editing: Ivanka Munsterhuis

Design, Styling & Printing

Artin Advertising

Photography

Frans Dekker, New Imaging (Enschede)

Editorial address

De Band - Apollo Tyres NL PO Box 27

7500 AA Enschede deband@apollotyres.com

word from the editors

Summer is upon us once more! A time to get to gether, enjoy the outdoors or sit back in your lazy chair in the garden to enjoy this new edition of De Band! We are once again proud of the end result and we hope this is another edition that you cannot wait to read. It is full of fun interviews, articles about the latest developments and interesting stories that we want to share with you. Our thanks to all of the colleagues who contributed to this edition by sharing their anecdotes and stories. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of De Band and wish you all an amazing summer!

The editors

The Technical Leadership Development Programme forms part of Apollo's new Manufacturing Excellence Programme. It was specially created to stimulate the development and deployment of top talents. The programme's ultimate goal is to develop engineers, specialists and managers in and for our plants across Europe. The role of these talents in our plants is crucially important to our goal of boosting the operational effectiveness and innovation within our teams. During this five-month programme, participants develop their expertise regarding the three key pillars of Apollo Tyres: Our Products, Our Processes and Our Systems. As part of the programme, several colleagues from Plant Enschede took part in a leadership programme at our plant in Gyöngyös last April. This enthusiastic group embarked on an intensive week full of learning, discovery and collaboration. The main focus of this week was our processes.

Kanwar tulip Manufacturing Excellence Programme

The Staff Association

Have you joined the staff association of Plant NL yet? Every year, it organises various fun activities for employees and their partners and children. Examples include the winter dropping, the karting tournament, Sinterklaas, the Easter workshop, the children's excursion and the always amazing annual party! Get to know your colleagues better outside work. It is a great opportunity to have fun together in an informal setting. A membership costs just €4 per month (with a minimum duration of 12 months). Staffing employees can join until 31 January for a fee of €72 per year. Membership fees must be paid via bank transfer to NL09 SNSB 0911 4766 95, attn. Vereniging Vredestein. Please include your name and payroll number. For more information, visit www.vredesteinpv.nl. For our next trip, we will be going on a bus tour to the Christmas fair in Münster! Don't wait too long, because seats are limited!

The Kanwar tulip was introduced in April to commemorate Vredestein's 115th anniversary and the 15th anniversary of its acquisition by Apollo Tyres. Named after Mr O.S. Kanwar, the founder of Apollo Tyres, this tulip has a striking purple hue that matches our corporate style. During the gala for the Indian dealer convention in Amsterdam, the tulip was festively introduced and christened with champagne by our chairman Onkar Kanwar and VCMD Neeraj Kanwar. The event welcomed 300 Indian dealers to connect and celebrate together. The Kanwar tulip symbolises the growth and performance of our Vredestein tyres.

On 14 May, our VCMD Neeraj Kanwar announced the new organisational structure of Apollo Tyres Ltd. Apollo Tyres Ltd has transitioned from a regional structure to a functional structure. The new functional departments are based on areas of expertise such as Manufacturing / Production, Financial, Digital, Quality & Safety and R&D. This development gave Mr K. Prabhakar (Chief Manufacturing Officer Apollo Tyres Ltd), K. Sunil (Integrated Manufacturing Services) and Dipankar Gosh (Group Head HR – Manufacturing & Projects) enough reason to visit our plant in June. They spoke with members from various departments. Per 1 June, our plant will fall under Manufacturing and report to Mr K. Prabhakar, Chief

World Day for Safety and Visit Apollo Tyres Ltd

Every year on 28 April, we celebrate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work! As 28 April was a Sunday this year, we celebrated at our plant on Friday 3 May instead. For Apollo Tyres Ltd, both in Enschede and at our other plants, this day was all about safety and health in the workplace. We asked Daan Feijer, Manager SHE & Quality Plant in Enschede, how we celebrate this important day. Daan: ‘This is the seventh year that we celebrate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. We organised various activities. We have a theme every year and this year's theme was 'A safe tyre begins with a safe workplace'. This theme represents an important aspect of our day-to-day operations, because safety always comes first in the production of our tyres.’ The theme was brought to people's attention at the plant in various ways. A large banner was put up near the entrance and there were roll-banners on the floor, as April was Safety Month. On the World Day itself, we briefly shut down production for two speeches delivered by Martijn ter Haar, Unit Head Plant Enschede, and myself. During this gathering, we handed out the award for 'Safety worker of the year' to Mustafa Kurkut. After the speeches, everyone received a special newsletter and a reusable coffee cup as part of our ongoing sustainability efforts. Following the local speeches, the plant's (team) leaders watched the Global Safety Day speech given by our VCMD and CQSO. This day was all about reminding everyone of the importance of workplace

The mixing department

The basis for our quality tyres

At the back of our plant in Enschede, you will find the basis for the production of our high-grade tyres: the mixing department. This is a complex department with many different workstations and experienced (senior) operators who utilise their knowledge and experience every day to produce a top-quality product that our plant depends on: the rubber that is used as the basis for all our tyres. The department produces several different types of rubber, each with its own unique properties. Once mixed, the rubber is sent to the various departments in our plant to be used as a component of our tyres. Pascal Boers and Marcel Wennink, with a combined total of almost forty years of experience at Plant Enschede, run this challenging environment as the department’s two foremen.

Pascal Boers

'There can be no tyres without rubber. If there is an issue in the mixing department, that has ramifications for the entire plant.’

XNP and final-mix mixers

The mixing department's 37 employees are divided into two shifts who work the morning and the afternoon shift. Together, they ensure that the production of the various mixtures goes smoothly. The heart of the mixing department is formed by the XNP and final-mix mixers; the well-known Mixer 6 and 8 and Mixer 4 and 5. Pascal: ‘For us, the process begins with the XNP mixers, where rubber bales/soot/silica/oils and chemicals and mixed to produce various rubber mixtures. After passing through a roller, the mixtures end up on a cooling rack. There, the

The rubber is then cut and weighed as per the recipe. The material then passes through three rollers and a submersion tank - a kind of bath filled with a soap solution to prevent the rubber from sticking together - before ending up on another cooling rack and being placed on pallets. The final step of the process is a rheo test. If the results of this test are okay, the pallets can leave the mixing department.’

Essential for the plant

The pallets with rubber mixtures are sent to various departments throughout the plant, including

"Pascal "

Kalander 3, Kalander 4, Hielenlijn 2 and others. Each of these departments depends on the mixing department to deliver the specific mixtures they need for their own processes. However, the mixing department does more than produce rubber mixtures. In fact, it is fair to say that the mixing department is an essential part of the plant. Pascal: ‘The recipes and procedures are set in stone, but there are often slight variations in the process or malfunctions/ issues that must be resolved. At such times, you are expected to bring your own experience and initiative to bear. That's what makes working in this department so fascinating and challenging!’ The mixing department is more than a production department; it is the beating heart of our plant. The department where expertise and innovation come together to create the foundation for the top-quality tyres our company is known for.

rubber cools down before being placed on a pallet. Before being sent to our plant's various departments, the rubber must first pass through the final-mix mixers. Here, additional chemicals are added to the mixture, such as sulphur to start the vulcanisation process.

‘We have over fifty recipes for the XNP mixers and over sixty for the final-mix mixers, each of which has its own unique properties.’

Marcel

"

Working safely on quality

Continuous improvement!

As part of the Daily Work Management at our plant, we have set a clear priority together when it comes to how we do our jobs: Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost, or SQDC. We work safely, work on quality, deliver the right quantities of product and do all that at the right costs. Although we can figure out together what the right quantities are, what does working safely actually mean? What is working on quality?

Safety Absolutes

When it comes to working safely, we introduced the Safety Absolutes several years ago. These absolute ground rules describe how we work safely. It's actually quite simple! With regard to quality, however, it wasn't always clear what was expected. Following standard operating procedures, conducting measurements as described in the control plan: it all sounds very familiar, but after the disappearance of the ‘Ten for Q’ a few years ago, it was not written down in a simple and recognisable manner anywhere. It was high time for a change, so we are now introducing the Quality Absolutes!

Quality Absolutes

The Quality Absolutes consist of seven symbols, divided into three groups. The first three symbols represent our core principles and philosophy: why do we work on

"

‘With these Quality Absolutes, we have taken another step toward greater quality awareness. In the coming period, there will be more moments that involve these Absolutes and we will introduce and clarify them further.’

Daan Feijer, manager SHE & Quality

quality? The next three symbols are more practical: what do we have to do and/or realise in order to work on the first three symbols? The seventh and final symbol forms the basis: ATQM. After all, if we cannot meet the second row of symbols and/or the first row of symbols is jeopardised, we stop

what we're doing, report it and start implementing improvements in accordance with ATQM.

Vitality for a healthy and energetic future

In the past six months, we have worked on our vitality calendar with great enthusiasm. Every month has a new theme designed to help us improve our health and wellbeing together. The first theme was “A Healthy Start". As part of this healthy start, a group of colleagues decided to take part in Dry January and stay away from alcohol for a whole month. We also learned more about our heart and what signals to look out for to maintain good heart health. But there was more!

Useful tips

We also explored various topics, such as stress management and how to get more energy. For the theme “Spring into motion", we made optimal use of the fresh dose of energy you get in the spring and shared tips to help us exercise more. Our company physical therapists also gave us some tips for novice runners and we introduced a walking app with a competitive element. This season, the theme is ‘More energy in the summer’. It helps us to be optimally prepared for the sunny months to come. Besides tips to help you get a good night's rest, we also learned about the importance

of good sun protection. Last but certainly not least, there is the photo contest!

Positive energy

This vitality calendar helps us work together to adopt a healthier lifestyle, get more energy and experience less stress. Let's hold on to this positive energy and keep investing in our health and wellbeing. Do you have a good idea for the coming months? Be sure to let us know! With this structured and joint approach, we not only want to gain more insight into various aspects of health and wellbeing, but also actively take

steps to improve our lifestyle. The vitality calendar can be a valuable instrument to help us achieve our health goals. We look forward to continuing this positive trend and working together on a healthy and energetic future.

Vitality Project Group

The new Ultrac Pro: a revolution in performance and comfort

That is what the client wants; a tyre that does it all!

With the introduction of the Ultrac Pro, Vredestein introduces a new standard for ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) summer tyres. This innovative tyre combines unrivalled performance with unprecedented comfort, made possible by a completely redesigned bead surface and a larger flex zone in the side wall. The Ultrac Pro is suitable for a wide variety of sports cars, supercars and high-performance sedans, hatchbacks and SUVs. It is available in sizes compatible with 1824-inch rims. Best of all, this tyre is manufactured right here in Enschede!

Innovative structure and material composition

The Ultrac Pro sets itself apart with its advanced new tread composition and innovative structure. The bead area and the lower part of the sidewall, near the rim, have been complete redesigned. This has resulted in a tyre that is not only stable at high speeds and in fast corners, but also offers smooth handling in ruts. The tread features a new generation of compound, produced using an advanced mixing process involving high-grade polymers, fillers and resins. This guarantees optimal grip and traction on both wet and dry surfaces within a wider temperature range.

Production and coordination

Production of the Ultrac Pro began in October 2023. Following its development, the industrialisation began in June of 2023. The first phase consisted of 46 SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), 44 of which are now in production. A second phase with another 55 SKUs is scheduled for later this year. On average, the production line in Enschede produces around 20,000 tyres every month. Cristian Greve, Group Leader Tyre Engineer: ’Within Plant Technology, I am responsible for the PCR tyres, including the introduction of new specifications such as the Ultrac Pro. This includes developing specifications and recipes, prototyping, testing, initial series production and the actual production transfer. Of course, we cannot do everything ourselves. We work together closely with R&D, while Plant Technology forms the connection to other departments within our plant, including Quality, IE, Purchasing and Production.’

Future and innovation

With the Ultrac Pro, we once again demonstrate our commitment to innovation. Plant Technology plays a crucial role in this by maintaining a constant focus on

‘We always aim to deliver the best possible product, while taking manufacturability and costs into account.’ "

"manufacturability and cost opti misation. Cristian: ‘For the Ultrac Pro, for example, we modified the construction and design guidelines in such a way as to improve cycle times, scrap and Uniformity Yield. Whether it all works out as intended remains to be seen, but the initial results are promising.’ In any case, the production of the Ultrac Pro here in Enschede is an achievement that the plant can take pride in. Cristian: ‘This tyre represents the top of the line of Apollo Tyres NL's PCR portfolio.

The challenging dimensions highlight the complexity and the craftsmanship involved in the production.’ The Ultrac Pro offers clients a tyre that does it all; from daily trips to dynamic journeys under various conditions. This tyre embodies Vredestein's dedication to delivering top-of-the-line performance and comfort and marks a significant step forward in the world of high-performance tyres.

Cristian

The Works Council's Strategy Working Group

As an active member of FNV, Rudy wanted to do more for his colleagues through the Works Council. He has been involved in the Council since 2014, initially as a substitute and now as an elected member. His years of experience give him great insight into the dynamics and structures of the Works Council. Rudy: ‘In particular, I have always cared about the position of staffing employees. I gained valuable experience during my years as a member of the VGWM committee, but then I wanted to use my time and energy elsewhere. That led me to choose the Strategy Working Group.’

Important decisions

This past year, the Strategy Working Group has focused on various

To ensure the Works Council can do its job efficiently, it was decided to set up various working groups. This prevents the entire Works Council from having to be involved in every issue. Instead, a small group handles the preliminaries, after which the full Council can make any necessary decisions. This method boosts the Council's efficiency and effectiveness. In this edition of De Band, Rudy Verenjans talks about what drives him to be a member of the Works Council and what the Strategy Working Group, with Rudy as its chairman and Erik Hovenier and Erik Pepping as committee members, does within the overall structure of the Works Council.

important topics. Rudy: ‘One of these initiatives was to develop a proposal for responsible phone usage within the organisation. We also took a close look at the implementation of the job classification structure in accordance with the collective labour agreement for staffing employees, to ensure that employees are placed in the correct job scale when they join our company and receive fair working conditions. We were also closely involved in the organisational changes to the engineering department.’ The Strategy Working Group also collaborated closely with the HRM Working Group to tackle issues regarding the expense allowance scheme. The goal was to strike a balance between optimal employment conditions for employees

and a healthy financial balance for the organisation.

Significant involvement

Despite the fact that the Strategy Working Group is not always visible, its involvement is significant. Its members work hard to safeguard a healthy future for the company and its people. Rudy: ‘The Works Council aims to protect the interests of our employees. Sometimes, we have to make decisions that not everyone likes. Nevertheless, you can trust the Works Council to always aim to find the right balance between the interests of the organisation and those of its employees. That is the goal that the passionate members of the Works Council strive toward every day.’

OHT Assembly

'Apollo Tyres is one of the few - if not the only - tyre manufacturer with an in-house department where OHT tyres are assembled for OEM clients. That makes our department unique and essential for after-sales in the replacement market.’

At OHT (Off Highway Tyres) Assembly, high-grade premium Vredestein/ Apollo agricultural tyres are assembled, which are then primarily delivered to OEM clients (= Original Equipment Manufacturer). Think of such well-known agricultural companies as Fendt, Claas, John Deere, CNH, Krone and Pottinger. The department forms part of the plant in Enschede and reports to Joost Raanhuis, Business Team Manager Agri. What they do? VAS (Value Added Services) activities! The rim, the valve and the tyre are put together to create wheel sets. When clients receive the agricultural and industrial tyres they ordered, they are fully assembled and ready for use.

Unique department

Every year, OHT Assembly assembles around 80,000 wheel sets, ranging from 4 to 38 inches, using various machines. The team is made up of six full-time employees. When necessary, staffing employees are brought in for additional manpower. Erik Homeijer, Team leader OHT Assembly: ‘When people visit our department for the first time, they often quip that we are like a factory within a factory. We handle the receipt and storage of goods, assemble these into the rim-tyre combinations our client ordered and get everything ready for shipping. We also handle the administrative side of things and do inventory

management for all the goods we use in this department. That is what it feels like to our team. This is our department and we want everyone to know that we are proud of what we do.'

Self-managing teams

The department receives the planning for incoming goods and products to be delivered from OHT Sales. Erik: ‘Our strength lies in working with self-managing teams, which makes us extremely flexible. All colleagues can work in various positions within the department, which is a major advantage during assemblies with a tight deadline and ensures that everyone knows what is expected

of them. There is a strong sense of collegiality within our department.’ Job satisfaction is important to Erik. Still, the unexpected problems or extra output on short notice make his work even more challenging than usual. Erik: ‘What I love about our job is when other departments need our feedback or support to deal with questions or complaints about wheel sets or new products and rims. I also enjoy our ongoing efforts to further improve the assembly process and our department and lower costs, all without compromising on the quality we offer our clients.’

Erik

Pictured from left to right: Ken Poell - Dennis Boerrigter - Erik Homeijer - Marcel koroljevic

What you need to know! Birth leave and Parental leave:

Birth leave

In the Netherlands, partners are entitled to parental leave equal to the number of hours they work in a single week. During this leave, your employer pays your full wage. You must use up your birth leave within four weeks of the birth of your child. Partners are also entitled to additional birth leave, with a maximum of five times their weekly working time. During this additional birth leave, the employee will receive 70% of their normal salary. You must use up this leave within six months of

MTO Plant Enschede

We recently conducted an employee satisfaction survey at our plant. The goal of this survey is to gain insight into our staff's experiences, perspectives and possible points of attention. Nearly two-thirds of the employees completed the survey. We are happy with this result, as it paints a representative picture. This survey helps us understand what is going on on the floor and how people feel about their work. Once the external agency has processed the survey data, we will share the results with you. We will discuss our points of attention and the things that are already going very well. To be continued.

the birth of your child. If desired and if you have sufficient leave balance, you can use your non-statutory leave to top up the 70% wage entitlement to 100%.

Parental leave

Parents are entitled to paid parental leave during the first year after the birth of their child, with a maximum of nine times their weekly working time. During this leave, the employee will receive 70% of their normal salary. Once again, you can use your non-statutory leave to top up the 70% wage

AG5 replaces AVOS

The new AG5 training management system replaces AVOS, which is outdated and no longer supported. AG5 will give us myriad new possibilities. This software makes it easier to manage your teams’ skills and training needs. With the AG5 software, you can easily visualise your teams’ skill gaps and map out training requirements. In the future, employees will be able to log in to the system themselves to review their training status and see what training tasks they have yet to complete. The insightful dashboards and employee pages allow managers, team leaders and instructors to easily manage a team's skills and training needs. This ensures the

entitlement to the full 100%, provided you have a sufficient leave balance. Until your child's eighth birthday, you are also entitled to unpaid parental leave. The leave entitlement is equal to a maximum of 26 times their weekly working time, minus any paid parental leave taken. The HRSC registers both (additional) birth leave and paid parental leave in the time registration system Protime.

information is always up to date. We are currently working hard to implement this new software and process all employee training data. Among other things, an SAP integration was developed to ensure that training information is automatically entered into AG5 in the future. In the coming period, we will be putting the finishing touches on that. In short, AG5 will help us support our teams more efficiently and get them ready for the future.

HR matters HR matters

Joiners &

Leavers

New joiners

Jurre Hanstede 15-01-2024 SHE

Bert Nijland 01-02-2024 Staf Plant Engineering

Lambros Kaskamanidis 01-02-2024 Building Agri

Sarief Dhonre 01-02-2024 Building SM

Kubra Isik 01-02-2024 Opleidingen

Denise Kronenburg 08-02-2024 Inkoop

Anouck Wind 12-02-2024 HR

Justin van der Tuin 01-03-2024 Curing PCT

Gustavo Galicia Villanueva 01-03-2024 Industrial Engineering

Ricardo Portillo Azuela 22-03-2024 Industrial Engineering

Demy Regtop 01-05-2024 Building Semi-Aut PCT

Retirement

Hilmi Bayramoglu 31-01-2024

Renasing Sardjoe 11-03-2024

Anandkoemar Sitaram 16-04-2024

Hans Ree 31-05-2024

Erwin Eisinger 04-08-2024

Aard ter Mors 09-10-2024

Herbert Stroink 28-10-2024

12,5 years of service

Gerardus Bijsterveld 01-08-2024

Edin Colic 01-08-2024

Marc Lunding 01-08-2024

Gerbrand Medendorp 01-08-2024

Ronnie Olbertz 01-08-2024

Mark Otter 01-08-2024

Jan Perik 01-08-2024

Michel Schuphof 01-08-2024

Marchel Smit 01-08-2024

Leavers

Richard Scharphof

Edwin Valkman

Murat Sezer

Dennis Oude Lenferink

Tom Weggen

Radvan Steenbergen

Patrick Stoter

Yunus Angin

Rudi Oelderink

Daphne Escalante Y Diederich

Bas Siemerink

Manuela Bosscha

Hennie Snijder

25 years of service

Mathijs van Es 23-08-2024

Dado Ibragic 23-08-2024

Jose Ortiz Castrillo 13-09-2024

Mustafa Kurkut 27-09-2024

Kemal Ozgulus 27-09-2024

Kamiran Fethollah 04-10-2024

Cees Draaisma 01-11-2024

40 years of service

Richard Klijnstra 01-10-2024

Harold van Osenbruggen 17-12-2024

Harald Collet 17-12-2024

RETIREMENT

60 years of VGV

A milestone full of memories and solidarity

The Vredestein Retirees’ Association (VGV) was founded on 24 September 1964. This year, the association celebrates its 60th anniversary. The foundation of the VGV was the result of a meeting of the staff association, during which someone asked: "Why don't we do something like that for our retirees?" The answer to that question soon led to the foundation of the VGV. The statutes and regulations were drawn up in short order and the association was established. Since then, these statutes and regulations have been frequently amended to stay up to date.

The VGV's 60th anniversary was celebrated on 14 March 2024 at Sanders Küper, just across the border near Enschede. Henk Siekmans, treasurer of the VGV: ‘It was a big celebration with music by the shanty choir Wrakhout. Afterwards, the attendees all received a notebook to commemorate the day. The gathering was a big success and everyone who was there had a great time.’

One big family

The VGV currently has around 180 members, including 120 couples and 60 singles, and it plays a crucial role in the lives of Apollo Tyres NL's retirees. Henk:

‘Vredestein was always seen as a family business, where people worked hard together to achieve success. The association offers a platform where former colleagues can reconnect and share their memories. Every year, we organise two get-togethers: one for VGV members only and one for all retirees.’ A fun anecdote illustrates just how close the VGV's members are. Henk: ‘During a bus trip, it was discovered after half an hour that someone had been left behind at the hotel. One bus turned around to pick them up, while the other two continued on to the dinner venue. To everyone's amazement, all three buses arrived at the same

time, which led to much hilarity and warm greetings all around.’

The best motivation

The treasurer has this to say to all current employees of Plant Enschede: ‘Make sure you love what you do, because that is the best motivation to do a good job. When you retire, be sure to join Apollo Tyres NL's VGV.’ At the moment, the VGV's board has six members, each with their own tasks. Together, they make sure the association continues to grow and thrive.

Growth and development at ATNL

At ATNL, we believe it is important to offer our people training and education opportunities. Employees not only get to expand their own knowledge and feel more appreciated, they can also put everything they learn into practice straight away. Investing in staff is a win-win situation. Over the years, Patrick Hannink, Quality Technician ATNL, has completed various training programmes to expand his knowledge and expertise. We sat down with him to discuss his career path at Apollo Tyres NL.

Different functions

Patrick's career at Plant Enschede began in 2006 as an operator in the Extrusion department. For seven years, he was actively involved in various improvement projects, he regularly took on the role of substitute supervisor and he served as one of his team's trainers, assisting colleagues with their Vapro programme. Patrick: ‘In 2013, I made a horizontal career move to the Mixing department. Six years later, I spent a year assisting the practice supervisors with the recertification of operators. Since 2020, I work as a Quality Technician. My job is to assess the outages of three production lines

"‘Over the course of my career, I have seen many people complete a training programme and then get a promotion or make a career move in a direction they are passionate about. Based on my personal experience, I can say that everyone at ATNL is willing to help you with your training programme. So if you are interested in a particular programme, be sure to discuss it with your supervisor. Good luck!’

Patrick

"and provide support with quality issues throughout the plant.’

Interesting training programmes

During his time at ATNL, Patrick has completed various training programmes. Among others, he completed the Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt course and the project auditor course. The former offers a theoretical foundation of knowledge of the Lean Six Sigma methodology for continuous improvement. The latter allows Patrick to conduct product audits to assess whether products meet the set requirements. Patrick is

currently enrolled in the Technical Business Administration programme at Saxion. Patrick: ‘TBA is a fascinating programme. It gives you insight into every aspect of a business and you are constantly improving or designing business processes. I am eager to put this new knowledge to good use at ATNL. After all, ATNL-Plant Enschede is a wonderful organisation, but I also see many improvement opportunities to make processes more stable, efficient or sustainable. It calls for a thorough approach and this programme ties into that perfectly.’

An introduction: our Company Ambassadors

We have been hard at work on our Employer Branding for some time now. Our goal is to put Apollo Tyres on the map as an employer. Our Employer Branding strategy centres around four key pillars:

1. Top Employer accreditation in the Netherlands and Hungary

2. Our employer brand

3. Representation by employees

4. External visibility as an employer

For the third pillar - representation by employees - we work together with so-called Company Ambassadors. In our case, these are seven highly motivated and dedicated employees from various branches of our organisation. The group is made up of the following employees:

Alen Cekovski | Senior Manager – Global Product Planning Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Dávid Háda | Lead Engineer (Technology) Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary

Ivanka Munsterhuis | Internal Communications Officer, Plant Enschede, the Netherlands

Ruud Gaal | Senior Product Specialist Enschede, the Netherlands

Christin Engel | Marketing, Vallendar, Germany

Franco Nelson | Simulation Engineer R&D Enschede, the Netherlands

Nikola Kostira | Tyre Engineer R&D Enschede, the Netherlands

They represent our company and promote our vision, our goals and our values - both within and outside the organisation. The kick-off recently took place at our office in Enschede. This fiscal year, the Company Ambassadors will get together every month for a virtual meeting to share their insights and experiences. Our Company Ambassadors’ insights and experiences will contribute to the continuous improvement of our Employer Branding. We wish Alen, Christin, Dávid, Franco, Ivanka, Nikola and Ruud the best of luck! If you would like to become a Company Ambassador for Apollo as well, contact Ivanka or send an email to communicatie.atnl@apollotyres.com.

Pictured from left to right: Franco, Alen, Ruud, Christin, Ivanka, Dávid and Nikola

A Angelique Smeeman

What makes your job so fun?

What I love most about my job is the diversity and the interaction with other people. No two days are the same. Another big reason why I love coming into work every day is my team. A good workplace atmosphere is essential.

"‘ ‘Everyone should know that they can wake me up in the middle of the night for cauliflower and grilled chicken and that I am a big fan of Tina Turner.’

What is important to you in your job?

That's easy: good communication and working safely! I often work together with multiple parties, which means effective communication is crucial in order for us to collaborate effectively and make sure the job is done well. In other words: instead of making assumptions, make clear agreements! I love working in this male-dominated sector. Like most men, I prefer direct communication. Just say what you mean!

Tell us who you are! In this column, we present a colleague with a series of questions in order to get to know them better. For this edition of De Band, we came up with a few fun questions for Angelique Smeeman. As a member of the Support Office, her main responsibility is planning the (annual) maintenance, as well as resolving malfunctions of our building-related installations.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Everyone who knows me knows that I love sports. I enjoy running, mountainbiking and jigsaw puzzles by Jan van Haasteren. I am also very active as a volunteer at volleyball club Havoc in Haaksbergen. Last year, I took part in the 20 km run in Paris, which was organised by Vredestein. That was an amazing experience. On Sunday 21 April, I set a personal best time in the half marathon of Enschede. I am quite proud of that.

What do you look forward to?

There are so many things I'm looking forward to. What I enjoy most of all are the concerts I plan on attending this year. We're seeing Kane, Guus Meeuwis, Di-rect and the Concert at Sea festival. In November, we're going to see André Rieu in concert in Vienna. I'm also looking forward to going camping again.

‘ ‘On 6 October 2024, Enver, Koen, Sander and I will represent Apollo Tyres in the half marathon of Oldenzaal. Will you be there to cheer us on?’

Johnny Walkot

In “Five questions for…”, Nico Gerritsen (planner plant NL) has five questions for Johnny Walkot. Johnny is responsible for the Planning department, where he supervises five planners.