AT TERVAKOSKI FILM, HAPPY EMPLOYEES MEAN HAPPY CUSTOMERS.
AND JUST AS WE WANT OUR PRODUCTS TO STAND THE TESTS OF TIME, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE HAPPY TO STAY WITH US FOR YEARS AND YEARS, PREFERABLY DECADES, OF THEIR CAREERS.
Let us tell you about our highly esteemed team members, Zdenko Kuzmiak and Ladislav Markovič, who have worked with capacitor film production since the 1980s, back when its production started in Svit.
Zdenko started working in 1986 for the company in Svit that became part of Tervakoski Films Group in 1995. He was one of the operators that were chosen to prepare and install the new capacitor line, which was taken into use two years later. Over the years, Zdenko has advanced in our company from being an operator to working as a production manager, who has travelled the world, spending a considerable amount of time in India, among other places. Today, Zdenko works as a processing development specialist – we call him our “MacGyver”.
“I work as technological support for the production”, Zdenko clarifies with a smile.
Just as Zdenko, Ladislav was here for the installation of the new capacitor line in 1988 and has worked his way from being an operator to today working as a supervisor in the metallising department. In the 1990s, when a new production unit was set up in Ukraine, Ladislav spent six months as a team leader in Lutsk. For both Ladislav and Zdenko, the opportunity to travel has been one of the strongest motivators to work for what is now known as Tervakoski Films Group.
“In the 90s, it was still very close to when socialism had collapsed, and it was not common for people here to travel the way we did. But it was evident that we had a good quality product, for which there was interest in the world, and so we were connected with the Western world and a worldwide market through it”, explains Ladislav.
STAYING FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
Both Ladislav and Zdenko have worked for Tervakoski Films Group during five different decades – what has made them stay in one place this long?
“When I started here, I saw many opportunities to learn, to grow, and to be challenged. We were working with new, very special technology and new machinery. I have really enjoyed the possibility of self-realisation and I still have the opportunity to grow here professionally”
Zdenko Kuzmiak
“There has always been a vision for the future in our company, and for our position in the market. We have kept growing and making progress in our business, and we still foresee progress for the future”, says Ladislav.
Just as Zdenko and Ladislav, many people who started working in Svit in the 1980s have stayed in the company their entire careers, even up until retirement. And those who have left, have often come back. The two colleagues believe the company culture has a positive impact on its employees: “There is a good, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere in our production and our people are not under stress. This makes it easier for them to perform better. As the company is doing well, people feel it and feel safe in their work, which is reflected in their working performance”, muses Ladislav.
A HUMBLE ATTITUDE TO ALWAYS DOING OUR BEST
Viewing what is important in Tervakoski Film’s production, both Zdenko and Ladislav agree that closely following rules and procedures is key for the company’s high-quality products. It is imperative to pay attention to the whole process, to every detail that influences the final product. Everyone knows the rules and knows that they work for achieving set targets. A humble attitude to always doing our best is inherent in Tervakoski Film’s way-of-working.
“We make sure to always do our best and think about what we are doing. We have long-term targets and actions plans, and I daily take time to think and prepare for these targets”, describes Zdenko.
For Ladislav, his long experience as an operator has helped him as a supervisor. Having been in touch with all the different processes of production, he has a deep understanding of quality evaluation and knows which factors to look at. Zdenko agrees that the overview of the process is essential when prioritising tasks and collecting and analysing data.
TIGHT TEAMWORK AND LONG EXPERIENCE RESULT IN HIGH QUALITY
At Tervakoski Film, teamwork is vital and therefore communication between team members must be smooth. This is something Zdenko finds works very well in the company: “The most important skill in our work is communication because the team has a strong role here. Our communication is very open and friendly between the different people in our company: workers, managers, and team leaders. This good communication is very helpful to our work”, says Zdenko.
Easy communication also comes from working together for a long time. The fact that employees stay at Tervakoski Films Group for many years is a clear benefit, both for teamwork and for the quality of the products. Zdenko points out that experienced employees are reliable and can foresee and forego problems efficiently. Ladislav agrees:
“Long experience is very positive. Operators with much experience have more skills and know-how to prevent and predict problems. Long experience also results in higher quality and it enables us to make improvements. Knowledge about past products helps us develop new ones”
Ladislav Markovič
For him, knowing his colleagues for a long time also means knowing what motivates them and how to work with one another.
“We understand each other well and know each other’s ways, both our strengths and weaknesses. The team leaders can use this knowledge, and make sure people are assigned suitable tasks. This improves the teamwork and has a good influence on product quality”, Zdenko adds.
SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES BY SHARING EXPERIENCES
Both Ladislav and Zdenko have worked in the same company ever since they came out of school. This year, Zdenko celebrates 35 years in service. He is happy with his choice of employer and has a clear view of his coming years in the company: “I am really glad to work for Tervakoski Films Group, it has been nice to work in a modern and growing company. Our company is still developing and luckily there are still challenges for us to undertake. I think that in the future, I can help in developing new procedures and new materials. I want to support my colleagues in their work”, Zdenko reveals.
Just like Zdenko, Ladislav is also very satisfied at Tervakoski Film and plans to share his own experiences with younger employees: “I would like to widen my experience within the company even further and still learn new things. I would also like to share my experience from all the years I spent here with younger colleagues. I believe Tervakoski Film’s progress will last, and if the company does well, we all do well”, states Ladislav.