Risto – finding the soul of plastic
Risto has worked in the plastics industry for over 30 years. A wide range of experiences and relocations across Finland colour the story of his search for the soul of plastic.
In the late 1990s, Finland faced a difficult job market. The downturn also affected Risto’s path. He needed to find work. His journey in the plastics industry began when he applied for a job at a plastics factory in Southern Finland, without even knowing what was done there. Risto’s attitude impressed in the interview, and he was offered the job immediately. After accepting the offer, he drove to North Karelia, packed his belongings, and returned south with a moving load.
His first job in the plastics industry involved packaging work. After some time, the supervisor suggested an open position as a mould setter. Risto got the job and broke the first mould he installed. He recalls the onboarding back then being what it was, but despite that he carefully learned how to set up the machines. The work started to go well. Risto stayed in Southern Finland for four years as a setter and also worked as a shift supervisor, gaining valuable experience in production organisation.
Between jobs, Risto studied to become a plastic product manufacturer. He says he’s so curious about the world of plastics that he’s wanted to learn everything about it. This curiosity has been a major source of motivation throughout his career. At one workplace, management was even slightly annoyed by the flood of questions.
Risto returned to Eastern Finland in 2008. He joined a local plastics manufacturer in a new role as a plastic welder. He was learning new things again and was excited. His employer changed once during this time, but Risto returned to his previous role. Later, due to poor ergonomics and outdated practices, Risto suffered a back injury at work that required surgery. During recovery, he had time to reflect on his career. A couple of weeks after returning to work, Risto called Valukumpu about an open position and was hired almost immediately. He joined the company in 2017.
At first, Risto was shocked by the age of Valukumpu’s machinery. However, he says production has undergone an incredible transformation as the equipment has been systematically renewed and updated. According to Risto, today’s machinery makes work much easier, and customers are happy with the product quality. At the same time, improvements have been made in both occupational safety and energy efficiency in production.
Risto enjoys working at Ouneva Group and says he’s especially pleased with the changes in production and the fantastic team. It’s important to him that the work community includes a variety of people. A diverse team brings new perspectives to everyday challenges. Risto’s speech still reflects the intense curiosity that drew him to the plastics industry. He says he’s still inspired by the field and extremely proud of his expertise. It shows. Perhaps the soul of plastic has been found.