Over 8000 care packages already provided to Tönnies employees

Rheda-Wiedenbrück, 30 June 2020 – For Sabrina Sudbrock the working day has been turned on its head – as manager, she was responsible for the factory outlet at Tönnies in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, but for more than a week now, she has been working in quite a different place: together with several colleagues, she has been looking after the supply of groceries to Tönnies employees in the Gütersloh area who are currently in quarantine. At the moment, the red bulging boxes are leaving the site non-stop.
Sabrina Sudbrock is one of the Tönnies employees who is under “work quarantine”. “We are only allowed to spend time at home and at work”, explains the resident of Rheda-Wiedenbrück. But at the moment, she is not at home very much. For most of the day, she orders groceries and other products from suppliers for the care boxes – even at the weekend. “Some days my telephone never stops ringing”, she says.
Sabrina Sudbrock and her colleagues are pleased to be at work and are ready to help secure the emergency supplies for the Tönnies employees. Some employees and their families have no-one who can go shopping for them. “This is when we step in and we are happy to help” explains Marcus Stühlinger. The Managing Director of the Tönnies logistics subsidiary Tevex coordinates the care centre together with Managing Director Dirk Mutlak. This has already enabled more than 8000 grocery packages to find their way to quarantine homes. “Our colleagues are constantly packing the boxes”, praises Stühlinger. They include everyday groceries such as bread, eggs, milk, sliced meats, meat, sausages, drinks. The range available from the care centre also includes baby food, nappies, toilet paper as well as other care products.
“The employees are very thankful when we provide them with groceries” reports Marcus Stühlinger. This applies both for employees employed directly at Tönnies and for the men and women employed by the service providers of the Rheda-Wiedenbrück company. “The service providers identify which of their employees are in need and they can collect and distribute the packages from us accordingly”, explains the Tevex Managing Director with regard to the cooperation. The offer is supplemented by distribution campaigns such as that from the DRK [German Red Cross], the fire service and the THW [Technical Relief Agency]. “We are very pleased to have their support. There are almost 7000 employees and their families to help – a mammoth task” continues Stühlinger.
The team also receives support from long-term suppliers of the Tönnies factory outlet: a bakery in Rheda-Wiedenbrück bakes around 2000 loaves of bread some days, there are fruit and vegetables from a local farmer, poultry products from a supplier in Rietberg. “Of course that is how they earn their money – however the willingness to help with special deliveries is immense. They have a sympathetic ear for us day and night, and even at the weekend” reports Sabrina Sudbrock appreciatively. Together with Jörg Nuhn she actually manages the company’s small supermarket on the site. But now she is caring for the employees. “It is a matter of honour” assures Sabrina Sudbrock. “In Team Tönnies we stick together”, she adds, and then briefly answers the ringing telephone again.