SOP-Metal’s Production Manager, Jarkko Jämsä: “An SME Is a Great Place To Work!”

Jarkko Jämsä took up his post as the Production Manager at SOP-Metal last August. Varied tasks and dedicated owners make it a dynamic and interesting working environment.

Jämsä has over twenty years of continuous experience in various roles which have been at the core of various small and mediums-sized companies. A shorter stint in a large corporation helped him to realise that he definitely prefers the operational culture of smaller companies.

At the beginning of his career, Jämsä completed a working qualification as a mechanical engineer. This opened doors for him which led to his first Production Manager job at an industrial SME in Vaasa, and from there he eventually moved onto a similar role last autumn at SOP-Metal.

At SOP-Metal, the main tasks of a Production Manager are the strategic management, development, and monitoring of production, as well as the supervision of production, warehousing, and logistics staff. He also offers support to the sales department in terms of any matters which relates to production.

“There’s a lot to do, but that’s exactly why I enjoy working at an SME; my role is not too narrowly defined. In large corporations, however, roles and tasks can often be somewhat restrictive, but here everyone gets to – and is even expected to – do everything they are able to.”

SOP-Metal’s production is based on eleven different work stations, each involving several employees and pieces of machinery. As the Production Manager, it is my responsibility to manage the resources at the stations alongside the foreman, and to ensure that there are no bottlenecks in our production.

Looking after the knowledge and skills of our personnel is another important part of a Production Manager’s job description.

“Machining and welding demanding materials, such as copper and aluminium, require a high level of expertise. A subcontractor such as SOP-Metal can be successful in our sector only if they can offer top-quality products and fast delivery times which, in turn, requires highly skilled staff.”

“If we need to make something happen, we are quickly able to come to a decision. We don’t have to pass our ideas through countless hierarchical loops but can instead present them directly to the owner.”

Decisions made quickly when needed

The benefits of working for an family owned SME have become very clear to Jämsä, an experienced Production Manager, down the years. In addition to the varied job description, he greatly appreciates the ability to act fast when necessary, something that is typical of SMEs, in which the owner often commands a crucial role.

“If we need to make something happen, we are quickly able to come to a decision. We don’t have to pass our ideas through countless hierarchical loops but can instead present them directly to the owner.”

In fact, Jämsä has been happy to see SOP-Metal’s family owners work alongside the staff. This, in addition to the owners’ investment willingness, shows that they are serious about this business.

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SOP-Metal produces busbar solutions and other subcontracting products requiring high level of material know-how for various industries, including the electricity and energy sectors. In addition, we both conduct and isolate electric currents. We can do the whole job from design all the way to manufacturing the components.

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