When young Toni Kangas found himself in a machine shop, he knew there was no turning back. He has always had a passion for mechanical engineering, which has guided him on his career path. He first spent 20 years working for ABB doing stamping and from there he joined the Meyer shipyard in Turku, first as a foreman and then as a development engineer. At the same time he acquired new skills from Turku University of Applied Sciences, from where he graduated as an engineer of mechanical engineering and production technology. He started as a foreman at Stairon in November 2020.
Toni Kangas is the first machine shop industry professional within his family, and right from the beginning what attracted him to the industry was the changing nature of the work.
“There’s a lot going on all the time. Interest remains high when you can influence the development of the industry”, Toni says.
Development begins with a need
Toni, who describes himself as productive and precise, says that he is a developer who strongly identifies with Stairon’s motto.
“The machine shop industry is often stuck in its ways and likes to do things according to a familiar pattern. We at Stairon want to challenge the status quo. If you want to succeed in the field, you have to have expertise, a good team , and the ability to create something new. All of these building blocks can be found at Stairon”, he says.
Toni is looking forward to being able to develop the company’s parts manufacturing operations in particular. Better processes solve both production and customer challenges. Toni mentions that development work should not be based on the joy of development alone. The work should always result in something tangible.
“A good example is a pilot I carried out for Meyer, where we did certain work steps differently. It eventually resulted in big savings for my then employer. Let’s see what great things we can achieve at Stairon!”
The alphabet of a good working life
Toni wants to be not only a developer but also a fair and trusted foreman who helps his team achieve their goals.
“In order for everyone to succeed in their work, we must account for people’s strengths and work on weaknesses. When everyone can do their best, we create strong skills and quality together”, he says.
Taking responsibility and valuing co-workers and shared expertise were the first things Toni noticed in his new job. Working with professionals has also made it easier to settle into the new job.
“People here have long careers and solid professionalism, so it’s easy to be the foreman”, he laughs.
When we ask the 46-year-old expert what is the most important thing working life has taught him, he is quick to answer. “Work, learning something new, and co-workers. Those are the building blocks for a good and well-functioning work community”, he says.