When Soile Peltola started at Mäkelä Alu 27 years ago, she was the first woman to be hired as a white-collar employee in production. At the time, she worked in the horizontal paint shop, in an era when production volumes were still recorded by hand in notebooks, delivery notes were printed with dot matrix printers, and paints (powder coating powders) were ordered from Teknos, a Finnish paint supplier, by fax.
When Soile started, the Mäkelänmäki site included only an office, a foundry and the horizontal paint shop. The extrusion press was still located in an old building on the other side of Vimpelintie road. The old building was not unfamiliar to Soile even as a child, as her father worked there as a sheet metal worker at Mäkelän Peltituote, the company’s former name before aluminium extrusion operations began.
– As a little girl, I often ran off to the factory to see my father. He would then take me home on his moped. My own sons were sometimes with me at the factory when they were small. Of course, that would not be possible anymore today, she laughs.
– I always remember when my eldest son saw the vertical paint line for the first time. With the wisdom of a six-year-old, he asked what kind of amusement ride it was. We had just visited PowerPark (amusement park), she adds.
At the time, there was no dedicated logistics department, but Soile was already involved in logistics planning in the horizontal paint shop and worked closely with the production manager. Trucks were loaded through a lifting door next to the break room, as loading docks did not yet exist. When the vertical paint shop was completed, Soile moved there.
– I worked in the vertical line for about ten years. I was involved in supervisory tasks and production planning. In 2020, production planning was transferred to the teams, and this brought a major change to my own role as well.
From production to office work
Soile moved to the order-to-delivery department in the office. Although the company was familiar, the change was significant.
– I had worked for 22 years wearing a high-visibility jacket and safety shoes. I had to step out of my comfort zone. I had to learn a completely new role, even though some of the things were familiar. I wondered for a long time whether I would manage and adapt.
The transition coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought its own challenges. However, her strong background and experience from the paint shops helped her adapt, and her connection with production remained strong.
– What I feared turned out to be unnecessary. I did not have to leave my expertise behind, but instead I have been able to make use of it. I still work closely with surface treatment, Soile says.
A reliable employer
Soile’s current role is balancing the order-to-delivery process. She works across multiple interfaces, including sales, logistics, order processing and production. She plans and manages capacity and monitors delivery flows and deviations. She considers Mäkelä Alu a good employer.
– Mäkelä Alu is a caring and reliable employer. The feeling that my work is appreciated is important to me. Otherwise, I would not have stayed this long. Looking back, the latest change was a good one for me. After such a long career, it has been great not to do the same job all these years but to have opportunities to grow, she reflects.
– I have great respect and appreciation for my employer. I do not know if it comes from seeing since childhood how everything started and how it has grown to this scale. I approach my work as if I were doing it for myself, Soile concludes.
Summers at the baseball field
In her free time, Soile finds balance through exercise. She attends group fitness classes, sound bowl relaxation sessions and is planning to return to yoga after a long break.
– In winter, you can find me at the ice rink in the stands, and in summer at the Finnish baseball field. For several years, I have volunteered for the top team of Alajärven Ankkurit, nowadays in the VIP area.
