Colours that connect: 30 years of ORAFOL & the Caritas Workshop Oranienburg

Colours, surfaces, materials – ORAFOL products need to be seen and felt. At the Caritas Workshop in Oranienburg, promotional materials for ORAFOL customers around the world are crafted with great care and dedication. For more than 30 years, this partnership has produced not only high-quality materials, but also meaningful work and opportunities for participation.

A vibrant atmosphere fills the Caritas Workshop in Oranienburg. Wherever you look, shimmering films in a wide range of colours hang and lie neatly arranged. It is a truly colourful workplace for the approximately 60 employees, who carry out their tasks with focus and precision. Their work: producing promotional materials for ORAFOL.

Christoph Lau, who manages the workshop, explains:
“Unlike in traditional commercial enterprises, efficiency in production is not our sole focus. The product itself is an important part of the value we create. Equally important, however, is the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in the work process. Both aspects can – and must – be organised efficiently in their own right. The key difference is that, for us, efficiency does not mean reducing personnel, but enabling as many people as possible to participate in meaningful ways.”

The workshop employees bring diverse skills and backgrounds. ORAFOL’s orders are well suited to this environment, as they encompass a wide range of tasks.

More than just samples

The production of promotional materials has a distinctly workshop-like character. From large rolls of film, colour fan decks, catalogues, wall charts and sample cards are created for presentations around the world. Employees cut materials to size, punch and print them using screen printing techniques, laminate colour strips onto backing materials and carefully assemble them into catalogues.

But how does this kind of manual work fit into a time when industrial processes are primarily driven by efficiency?

“Our products appeal to the senses – they need to be seen and touched,” explains Elke Beune, Director Global Corporate Communications, Brand and Public Affairs at ORAFOL. “Colour, texture, gloss level or stretchability cannot be conveyed digitally.”

For processors and customers, this tactile experience is essential in making the right choice: “To be sure which colour and film is the right one, you need a physical sample.” This is why ORAFOL ships large quantities of colour fan decks and sample cards worldwide.

“For me, the collaboration with ORAFOL is ultimately about meaningful work, recognition, and the feeling of being part of something bigger.”

Christoph Lau, Head of the Caritas Workshop Oranienburg

Quality you can feel

To ensure consistently high quality, ORAFOL has worked with reliable partners for decades. The Caritas Workshop is a special one: “It is the most experienced partner ORAFOL has in this field – and has been on board for 30 years, essentially since its foundation. I see it as an external part of our corporate communications,” says Elke Beune.

The collaboration is close – and has grown over time. Melanie Vogler, Communications Manager at ORAFOL and responsible for sourcing promotional materials, is in direct contact with the workshop: “I place our orders with Caritas at regular intervals. We are in contact almost every day.”

This close coordination is necessary, as requirements have increased significantly in recent years. The range of products is expanding, volumes are rising, and with them the complexity of processes.

Developing solutions together

When new products or requirements arise, the workshop’s operations managers and their teams develop suitable production solutions and coordinate them with ORAFOL.

“We create test samples and prototypes, and in some cases even build custom machines designed specifically for individual process steps,” explains Christoph Lau.

The number of promotional materials has steadily increased in recent years. For the premium product ORACAL 970 Premium Wrapping Cast, hundreds of colour fan decks are produced annually at the Caritas Workshop in Oranienburg.

As demand continues to grow in line with the company’s expansion, ORAFOL does not simply look for additional suppliers. Instead, solutions are developed jointly with Caritas.

“We sit down together, review capacities and decide which product series the workshop will produce,” says Elke Beune.

Quality is a decisive factor in this collaboration. Manual craftsmanship plays a key role in achieving it.

Zusammenarbeit weiterdenken

“In regular meetings held every four weeks, we explore ways to further develop our collaboration. At the same time, we are aware that we are working within a workshop environment – and that there are limits.”

Putting people first

Despite all industrial requirements, the workshop’s social mission remains central.

“It is a constant balancing act,” says Christoph Lau. “On the one hand, we must meet increasing demands in terms of volume and performance. On the other, we must not lose sight of our core mission: actively involving people with disabilities in the work process.”

For Lau, the collaboration with ORAFOL is therefore a fortunate constellation that extends far beyond the finished product. In every fan deck, every colour card and every catalogue, he sees something more: the commitment, pride and identification of the people who contributed to its creation.

“At one of our open days, one of our employees was asked what he does,” Lau recalls. “He replied: ‘I’m a skilled worker at ORAFOL.’ That still moves me.”

For Lau, this moment captures the essence of the partnership: meaningful work, recognition – and the feeling of being part of something bigger.

Learn more about the Caritas Workshop St. Johannesberg

Photos: ©️Angela Kröll