De Brug is a so-called Maatwerkbedrijf. This term describes a company that offers people who are not part of the regular labor market an appropriate job. In the past, it used to be called a Sheltered Workplace. De Brug started in 1973 with 15 workers, and today there are 250, along with 90 supervisors to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
A variety of activities
One of the things that make De Brug different is the versatility of the activities. Furniture and complete office furnishings are made in the wood workshop. The metal department is equipped with an advanced machine park for all operations, including construction and assembly. In addition, there is an electronics department, where workers carry out various assembly activities. Other parts are the paint shop, an upholstery department, and the packaging department where — in addition to manual and automatic packaging of all kinds of products, mailings are also handled for several customers. In short, the possibilities of De Brug are practically unlimited, and the demand from clients: “Can you also …?” is always enthusiastically seized to add new products to the impressive range.
Competitive through quality
Although social involvement sometimes plays a role for customers, De Brug has to rely on the quality of its services. In this respect, there is no difference between commercial companies. Combining custom work for clients with custom work for people with an occupational disability is the daily challenge for De Brug. The fact that it works is evident from the long-term relationships with the many regular clients.
Advanced machinery
With the ability to guarantee quality for both customers and employees, De Brug continuously invests in the latest technology. For those interested, the machinery includes:
- Portal cutter
- Panel saw
- Edge bander
- Flat lasers and tube lasers
- Marking laser
- Welding robots
- Folding benches
- Wire harness machine
- Automatic press machine
Hobbyclub De Kobbe
A perfect example of the social role of De Brug is the hobby club, where employees, supervisors, and interested parties from outside can join together every Thursday evening to let their creativity run wild. Anyone is welcome to come and draw, sculpt, paint, craft, work wood and metal, and more. Other activities such as coffee concerts, the annual BBQ, the Sinterklaas party, and the Christmas market are also fixed traditions that emphasize the social function of De Brug.
Mouth masks
The social role in this time of the corona has also led to a unique initiative. As a producer of mouth masks and protective coats, De Brug has been unable to keep up with demand in recent times. Many people then started volunteering on their initiative. De Brug could not reimburse these volunteers as employees but wanted to give something back for their selfless help and decided to donate € 0.50 per sold mouth mask to a good cause.
