“I’ve always had a natural curiosity about technology, and I get a kick out of problem solving. Learning new things keeps me motivated and fresh, and there is no shortage of opportunities to do this in my work,” he says.
Powering plywood and paperboard production
Manu grew up in an area where the forestry industry’s big players are all present – a fact which made it hard to escape the pull of a career in this diverse arena. His first job after studying to become an electrician was at Metsä Wood’s laminated veneer and plywood mill in Punkaharju. He then went on to study energy engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä, central Finland.
“While I was studying in Jyväskylä I had the chance to work in the power plants at both the Metsä Board Simpele mill and the Metsä Fibre Äänekoski mill in Finland. After that there was no looking back – I knew I had found the right career,” he says.
Manu’s desire to learn and improve led him to pursue a master's degree in industrial engineering and management, and he now works as an operations engineer at the Simpele power plant. The plant provides process steam and electrical power for the mill, which produces folding boxboard for food, healthcare and general packaging applications.
“Power plants and technology in general have always been interesting to me. In my work I get to combine two things that have played a big role in my life: problem solving and the forestry industry. I work as part of a team of about 20 people, looking after day-to-day process and maintenance tasks, identifying opportunities to improve the efficiency of the plant, and planning bigger tasks like plant shutdowns,” he continues.
Plenty of opportunities for continuous improvement
Manu gets a great deal of satisfaction from his role at Simpele. Just like his daily work is about looking for new and better ways to do things, he is always on the lookout for ways to improve as a professional, too:
I really enjoy my current role and the team I work with. As an employer Metsä Board offers plenty of opportunities for people to push themselves and explore new challenges.
"Right now I’m part of an onboarding programme where I am working with a mentor and have the chance to move to another mill for a few weeks to help develop my skills. This is exactly the kind of thing I appreciate as it keeps my mind fresh and sharp, and means I’m always learning new things.”