Markus Latvala first joined Mäkelä Alu at the end of 2006. At that time, he was studying mechanical and production technology at a vocational college.
“In the evenings I worked in the horizontal coating unit doing ‘napsu’ profiles, window profiles with different colours on the inside and outside. From there I continued to summer jobs and stayed until military service. After that I got a permanent position in the vertical coating unit, where I mainly worked as a painter and also did some packaging,” Markus says.
He transferred to the extrusion plant, line P3, in 2017.
“I worked at the press for about five years before I felt it was time to try something new, so I moved on to another job,” he continues.
A balanced and reliable employer
A few years of experience elsewhere strengthened Markus’s view of what he values in working life. When the opportunity to return to Mäkelä Alu came up, the decision was easy.
“It was good to broaden my perspective and I am glad I went somewhere else for a while. Mäkelä Alu is a balanced and reliable employer, so it felt right to come back,” he says.
His workstation has also seen improvements. Line P3 has received an investment in modern billet heating technology. He learned the new equipment quickly, and the core work itself has not changed. Working comfort has been improved with a new air-conditioned and soundproofed workstation in the extrusion hall.
“The working conditions, tools and wellbeing are really well taken care of here. Right now, it feels good to be back. The only downside is the three-shift work, which can sometimes be a bit heavy,” Markus continues.
Fortunately, there are plenty of positive aspects. He highlights the sports and culture benefits offered by the employer as well as the team’s own sports activities and events.
“It is great that the workplace also organises low-threshold leisure activities,” he adds.
The responsible work of a press operator
A press operator’s work is very versatile and allows room for creativity. Operators monitor the extrusion process, plan the runs, load them into the machines, and ensure the billets are placed in the furnace.
“The operator also helps the profile ‘at birth’, meaning the profile ends are guided out of the press. The entire process is continuously monitored. Sometimes the run has to be stopped if there is a suspicion that something has gone wrong and the finished profile would have a defect. It is cheaper to stop than to run defective profiles. You must be ready to make quick decisions,” Markus explains.
After a successful extrusion, the profiles move to the stretching table where they are stretched. The press operator takes a sample of the profile for quality testing.
A good work community brings people back
Markus’s return to Mäkelä Alu has been smooth.
“It was nice to come back when I knew what to expect. The work community is good and colleagues are friendly. When I left earlier, I missed some of the people here, so it was great to join the same team again,” he says.
Outside work, Markus enjoys exercise and the outdoors.
“I hunt and have a hounddog and a Jämthund, which keep me busy; one of them is only a year old. I also go to the gym and wrestle. Spending time in nature is the best counterbalance to work.”
