When Sami Luhtala started working at T-DRILL’s machining shop in 2008, he had no idea that, almost 20 years later, not only would he still be working for the company, but he would also have become the supervisor of a 30-person assembly team and the company’s Occupational Safety Officer. Much to his delight, as someone for whom variety is a key factor in job satisfaction, Sami’s journey at T-DRILL has included several different roles: “I have grown up working here.”
Sami Luhtala is T-DRILL’s Assembly Supervisor and Occupational Safety Officer. His career at T-DRILL began at the company’s machining shop in Isokyrö, where he started working as a lathe operator at just under 20 years of age. Sami, the youngest member of the team, then spent a few years operating a milling machine, after which he received training to become a Manufacturing Engineer. In 2016, still the youngest employee, Sami became the supervisor of the machining shop.
“I was quite a rookie when I became a supervisor, but everything worked out well in the end. I really enjoyed working at the machining shop, especially because of the good group of people and a great working atmosphere. In addition, the T-DRILL machining shop did, and still does, demanding machining of our own products, not serial production. It keeps the work varied and interesting.”
Variety Is One of the Best Parts of the Job
In 2021, Sami moved to the role of Assembly Supervisor at the company’s headquarters in Laihia. His responsibilities now include supervising and managing a 30-person assembly team. Recently, Sami played a central role in commissioning T-DRILL’s new Maunula assembly hall, taking responsibility for planning the transfer of assembly operations to the new location and for the production start-up. He also played an active role in designing the new facility.
“I work as a supervisor and collaborate closely with different departments, such as sales, procurement, inspection, and machining. Basically, my job is to make sure the big picture works and that Assembly operates as efficiently as possible. As a supervisor, I would say my strengths are good collaboration skills and the ability to remain calm even in challenging situations.”
As his career demonstrates, Sami enjoys variety. That variety happens to be one of the best parts of his current role, along with the opportunity to have a tangible impact on both his department’s and the company’s performance. T-DRILL’s recent growth has also been felt in assembly, but together the team has successfully overcome every challenge.
At T-DRILL, Building a Career Path Is Possible
Sami has spent 18 years at T-DRILL for one simple reason: T-DRILL is a good place to work. The work offers the right amount of challenge, the working atmosphere is good, and the employer is reliable and fair. There has always been a good level of flexibility at T-DRILL: as a part-time farmer, Sami has always been able to balance his two careers.
“I’m happy to have been given trust at T-DRILL and to have had the opportunity to do many different things. I have grown up working here. For younger employees, I hope to be an example of the fact that at T-DRILL, you can build a versatile career.”
Interested in joining the T-DRILL team? Take a look at our open positions! (in Finnish)
