From foundry to profile design: finding the right path takes time

Ville Luoma-aho first started working at Mäkelä Alu when he was just 15 years old. He says he has worked in almost all production departments, with only the extrusion and logistics sections left out.

“A lot can happen in 18 years, including temporary contracts and agency work before being hired permanently. In my last role, I worked about five to six years in the foundry. At some point, shift work started to wear me out, and I began thinking about whether there was a chance to study my way into day shifts. I considered it for years before I finally decided to give it a try. Studying is never a waste,” says Ville.

This spring, Ville will graduate as an engineer in mechanical engineering from Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. His thesis focused on a comparison of measuring devices used in the foundry. For the past year and a half, he has worked as a profile designer and also partially handles tool orders.

“I’m really grateful that they believed in me even though I wasn’t yet a qualified engineer when I got the profile designer position. While working in the foundry, I took some study leave, but mostly I’ve completed my studies alongside work and primarily remotely, which luckily is possible these days. Some days have been tough, spending the whole day in front of a computer — first working and then studying,” he says.

Design work keeps things interesting

Switching to day shifts also fit well with Ville’s personal life.

“When I decided to start a family, moving to day shifts was absolutely priceless. It’s also refreshing to see production from this side. I’ve learned that there’s much more to the process than just extrusion and casting,” says Ville.

Ville finds the work of a profile designer interesting because no profile and no workday is ever the same.

“As a designer, I first go through the drawings and customer requirements for the profile and take a broad look at its shapes and dimensions. At this point, we evaluate things like whether the profile is too heavy or too light. We then fine-tune the final tool together with production. We can’t promise anything to the customer before that. The job is a balancing act between production and the customer. The sales team is always the primary contact for the customer, although we do occasionally have joint meetings during the design phase,” he explains.

A second family

Ville works in a hybrid model, like many others in the sales office. He usually works from home but enjoys spending time at the office during agreed team days or whenever it suits his schedule.

“I find I can concentrate better when working remotely. Sometimes I get so focused that I even forget to take breaks. Mäkelä Alu is a good balance between demanding and relaxed as an employer. The team here is a bit like a second family. There’s no need to stress because everyone knows their tasks and responsibilities, but there’s still room for casual conversation. There’s more to life than aluminium, even if everything here does revolve around it,” he says.

In his free time, Ville enjoys a typical family life and staying active.

“Our soon-to-be two-year-old keeps me busy for sure, but I still try to stay active. I run, go to the gym, and cycle. Right now, our everyday life has a good rhythm, even if there’s not much room for anything extra. But it’s a good kind of routine, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Maybe someday I’ll go for a master’s degree, but for now, I’ll take a break first.”