Supervisor Aleksi Mäkelä’s workdays at Ateno are anything but monotonous. Over the course of more than ten years, his role has grown from machinist into a responsible, expert supervisor whose tasks include planning, developing, and ensuring that things in the busy machine shop progress as they should.
Aleksi’s first connection to Ateno came through his studies, when he completed his first machining internship at the company. He graduated from vocational school as a machinist in spring 2013 and stayed on immediately: first in laser cutting, later in machining. Alongside his studies at a university of applied sciences, Aleksi worked evenings, weekends, and holidays. More responsibility followed in the spring of 2019, when he took on the role of supervisor at Ateno. Almost simultaneously, he graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
“Ateno has felt like a match from the very beginning. I’ve never wanted to explore other paths. All in all, I really enjoy working here”, Aleksi begins.
Ateno’s growth visible in everyday work and responsibilities
A career spanning more than a decade means that the company had become familiar. Ateno’s growth has been remarkable, with the number of employees nearly tripling in ten years.
“When I started, there were about 40 of us. Now we’re already more than 120. A lot of new faces have joined the team, but there are still a few old colleagues left as well”, Aleksi says.
Aleksi starts his workdays at seven in the morning by going through machining orders and schedules. His daily tasks can include designing fixtures for new products, calculating prices for machining, and preparing machining programs for the evening shift. Aleksi’s responsibilities also include assessing the need for future machine investments.
“I make sure the whole process runs smoothly – planning the workflow for the day, ordering tools and necessary materials. In other words, I prepare for upcoming jobs”, Aleksi explains.
His responsibilities have expanded considerably over the years. Today, he is responsible for ensuring the smooth work of 25 machinists. For a year now, the team has also been supported by a supervisor, which has freed up Aleksi’s time to focus on development and maintenance projects in the machining department.
“My responsibilities have grown continuously over time, but I think that’s only a good thing. No two days are ever the same here – and that is the highlight of the job”, Aleksi adds.
Free time filled with family and home renovations
Aleksi is originally from Vimpeli, where he, now together with his family, has returned after a few years of studying in Seinäjoki. Outside of work, everyday life is shaped by parenting young kids and working on small home improvement projects. Whenever needed, Aleksi is also there to give his parents a helping hand.
“Basically, I’m just living the ordinary family life. The kids do take up plenty of time, but that’s the way it should be. The days are busy, but that’s life right now – and I don’t mind it one bit”, Aleksi concludes.