19 years of commitment: AMF apprentices donate €12,000 to a good cause

As in the previous year, the proceeds of the campaign will be distributed among two carefully selected recipients in order to continue the mission of providing support to as many people as possible. This year, the proceeds will go to the Haus am Kappelberg e.V. support association and the F.U.N.K.  e.V.

€6,000 each goes to the Haus am Kappelberg e.V. and F.U.N.K. e.V. Stuttgart. The supporting organisation Förderverein Haus am Kappelberg e.V. uses the donation for the maintenance and upkeep of the garden as well as for projects to enrich the daily lives of the senior citizens. The F.U.N.K. e.V. uses the funds to support children and young people with neurological disorders, for example for health-promoting measures such as music therapy.

Trainees at the wheel: entrepreneurial spirit at the Christmas market

This year, Arnold Schneider, Emanuel Broos and Rita Matees, three dedicated apprentices at Andreas Maier GmbH & Co. KG, took on the leading roles in the project. Together they managed the “mini-company” and shared responsibility for the entire team. The project managers come from the commercial, technical and industrial sectors and work closely together to successfully organise the project. In doing so, they not only get to know the processes in their own field, but also gain valuable insights into the work of their colleagues. “Organising a Christmas market stand is no easy task. But with the support of our trainees and employees, we are able to improve and develop every year,” explains trainee Rita Matees, an industrial management assistant in her second year of training.

This year, the apprentices in charge have once again demonstrated their innovative strength and impressively expanded the product range to around 90 items. Among the new products are the “Hot Wire”, which requires skill, and the “Suspended Table”, which enhances any room as a stylish decorative element. Also new in the range was the welcome sign, which gives every entrance area a personal touch, and the environmentally friendly straw holder, which makes a small but significant contribution to a more sustainable world.

Popular products and loyal customers ensure sales success

Every year, the AMF Christmas market stand enjoys great popularity – especially among regular customers who eagerly await new products. In particular, the magnetic pins, which inspire with new designs every year, have proven to be a real crowd-puller. With a turnover of €1,462.50, they once again proved to be a bestseller. The small Christmas trees were also in particularly high demand this year: more than 780 trees successfully found new owners. The high-quality workmanship of the handcrafted products makes them ideal gifts that regularly elicit enthusiasm from customers. The AMF employees received positive feedback throughout.

More efficient processes using a new system

This year, the three project managers of the AMF Christmas market project introduced a new sales system for the first time. Their aim was to simplify processes and minimise the error rate. The new system enables the apprentices to work more precisely and effectively. The biggest challenge was to implement the system in time for the Christmas market and to ensure that all employees received a thorough introduction. “The integration worked well. We have only received positive feedback,” reported Arnold Schneider, a prospective technical product designer in his second year of training. With this innovation, the project managers were able to noticeably improve workflows and ensure an even smoother organisation of the Christmas market stand.

Commitment, experience, community – a project that moves!

With the successful handover of the donations, the Christmas market has also been successfully completed for the AMF apprentices. For the 19th time, they have dedicated themselves to a good cause and supported non-profit organisations that they had previously selected through careful consideration. This year, the apprentices also sought direct contact with the recipients of the donations in advance to find out more about their work and how the donations would be used. Plans for the next Christmas market in spring 2025 are already in the pipeline, and the AMF apprentices are looking forward to continuing their mission of support and community.