Stulle & Stahl: The Café Fosters Community Through Inclusion and Appreciation
Inclusion and responsibility are fundamental values that are deeply rooted in thyssenkrupp's DNA. Our goal? to make inclusion possible in all areas and to continuously improve. We achieve this in different areas through various initiatives and campaigns. One example of this is the Stulle & Stahl inclusion café in Duisburg. The works café is located on the thyssenkrupp Steel site, nestled between the freight depot and the oxygen steelworks. Not only are fresh sandwiches and drinks served here, but it is also a place where diversity, community and the #GENERATIONTK are particularly tangible.
Inclusion and responsibility are fundamental values deeply ingrainede in thyssenkrupp's DNA. Our objective? To facilitate inclusion across all spheres and consistently enhance ourselves. We achieve this through various initiatives and actions. One prime example is the inclusion café "Stulle & Stahl" in Duisburg. Situated on the premises of thyssenkrupp Steel - nestled between the freight station and the oxygen steel plant - is a truly unique space: the company café "Stulle & Stahl". Here, not only freshly made sandwiches and beverages are served, but it also serves as a hub for diversity, community, and the #GENERATIONTK, all of which are particularly palpable.
Just before 8 a.m. at the Duisburg plant site at thyssenkrupp Steel. There is a long queue outside the café. No wonder, because here employees receive freshly made sandwiches and drinks Mondays through Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. The demand shows: The concept is well received.
In 2020, Vera Hillen, team leader of the inclusive workshop at thyssenkrupp Steel, decided with her team to renovate the old break room. From this emerged the idea of opening an inclusion café. "The special thing about it," says Vera Hillen, "is that the café is not only accessible to all colleagues on the premises but is also operated by employees whose performance has been affected." So called performance-changed employees are referred to at thyssenkrupp Steel when employees can no longer perform their original profession due to an accident, illness, or other reasons.
Appreciation is Key Here - The Café Emphasizes on Inclusion and Community
Thanks to retraining, the employees are prepared for all tasks in a restaurant, including naming the products. Here, the employees were able to unleash their creativity. "For example, our wheat rolls are called 'ST37' and the spelt rolls 'bluemint'. All, of course, inspired by the ongoing steel operation," explains Hillen. Meanwhile, a second location has even opened at the sales building "Steel Cube". In the two inclusive cafés, a total of eight employees from various areas of steel production work.
However, the work in the inclusive cafés is different to that in conventional inclusive facilities and is associated with special requirements. This is because the morning rush for sandwiches can be stressful. Vera Hillen emphasizes the importance of a healthy working atmosphere: "Anyone who visits the Inclusion Café also has to bring time with them. We take great care to ensure that our employees can complete their tasks in peace and quiet in order to create a healthy working environment for them." In addition, ergonomic measures have been taken, such as a dishwasher at an optimal height, to relieve the strain on employees.
Communal commitment to inclusion: individually tailored to employees
However, working in a café is not right for everyone. "When selecting employees, it is particularly important that they can work well in a team and have some manual skills," explains Vera Hillen. The team also changes more frequently, as some employees can return to their old positions due to recovery or rehab stays.
The positive response from all areas of the company shows how important appreciation and inclusion in the workplace is. "This is very important for our employees and a great experience," says Vera Hillen. "In addition, everyone is happy to see their colleagues from the former companies again and to give them a treat with the meal. We are all very proud to play our part in inclusion at thyssenkrupp," says Hillen. But the company café has even more to offer. In addition to food, the café also offers guest WiFi and cooperates with a coffee roasting company. "And most importantly: we're the only ones with portafilter coffee on the premises!" adds Vera Hillen.
Inclusion: valuing employees who have changed their skills
The café is particularly charming thanks to the home-made furniture and decorations produced by employees in the workshops, which are also on sale. Other products from the workshop are also on display, such as the collection by august&alfred. This shows that the concept of inclusion is not limited to the café, but also takes place in other workshops and service operations at thyssenkrupp Steel. Because there is so much more to the workshops at thyssenkrupp Steel. Employees who have undergone a transformation not only work in the café, but also take on tasks in the joinery, metalworking shop, textile workshop or print shop. There is a place for everyone here. It is a joint collaboration between all employees of thyssenkrupp Steel.
Plans for the future of the inclusion café
And what is planned for the future in terms of inclusion? The opening of the second café was a big step, but Vera Hillen can imagine opening inclusion cafés in other locations too. Café Stulle & Stahl shows how inclusion is implemented in everyday life at thyssenkrupp. It is not only a place of enjoyment, but also of encounters and diversity. thyssenkrupp Steel's commitment to diversity & inclusion can be felt in every bite and every cup of coffee.
The Stulle & Stahl inclusion café shows how inclusion takes place at thyssenkrupp. It is a place where the focus is on tangible diversity and community. You can find out more about diversity & inclusion at thyssenkrupp in our Stories.