Tom Söderberg works in maintenance and repair at the Tikkurila factory. We asked Tom about his family’s long history with Tikkurila.
“I started working at the Tikkurila factory as a maintenance and repair worker in 1980. Fresh out of vocational school, I began my career as a summer help. I was offered a job after the first summer, and here I still am today.
My workday consists of repairing and maintaining the factory machinery. I’ve enjoyed my time here. There’s just something in getting my hands dirty and finding the problems or malfunctions in the machines. The basics of my work haven’t changed that much during these 40 years. New machines come along every now and then, but the principles are the same."
A family of Tikkurila employees
"It’s a nice thought that Tikkurila has been in operation for 160 years. That’s a long time. My family history kind of goes hand in hand with Tikkurila's, since besides me, also my brother, my sister and my mother have been working here. I even found my wife at work. It was the beginning of the 2000s when our eyes met at the cafeteria. Now we’ve been together for almost twenty years.
We drive to work together and head home at the same time. Sometimes we talk about things related to work, but not too often.
Our team spirit at the factory has always been good. There are a bunch of nice people. We keep in touch in our free time as well, for example with a couple of guys we have a tradition of going to the shooting range together.
To me, tradition and history mean that often the old style is a good one. I tend to do things the way I know best.”
