From Frisian pastry to Limburg aluminium
Fifteen years ago, Pascal moved from the Friesland region in the North of the Netherlands, to southern Brabant to become an even better pastry chef there. Down south, he fell in love with the woman who meanwhile has become his wife. He also fell in love with the process industry, when he started working for a large pie-manufacturer. Pascal decided to pursue his ambitions at Euramax: ‘I wanted to keep growing in process operating, but I had reached the top at my former employer. Through an employment agency I ended up at Euramax. Here, I completed a training course to become a Process Operator and I can still keep growing.’
A department that’s thriving
And growing, that’s exactly what Pascal did: from process operator he became team leader and meanwhile he works as supervisor on the broadband line, where broad material of more than 2.5 meters is coated. About his main responsibility he says that it’s: ‘making sure that the production line stays in tiptop shape.’ He does so by starting his shift by going over the planning, any deviations, and possible breakdowns with the supervisor from the previous shift. After that Pascal takes over the responsibility of the machine. ‘I do a quick walk around the machine and have a chat with the operators on the production line. My other responsibilities are ensuring safety, solving various issues, completing bookings, and answering all sorts of questions. I also attend meetings to push production to an even higher level, and I coach employees.’ Pascal has a keen eye for both the technical and the human side of the job. He explains, ‘I want to have good contact with all the team members. That way, I can get a sense of how they’re feeling and respond to that. I get a lot of energy from building a team that helps each other, respects each other, and has fun together. You can see it in our results when that’s all in place.
‘Every day I look at how we can improve our machine or processes’
Pascal is on your side
Pascal delivers on Euramax’s ‘on your side’ promise on multiple levels. ‘As a department we focus on delivering products that meet the demands of every specific customer. Like coated aluminium for example, which is used to make the most beautiful end products including motorhomes, caravans, and trains. When I think about it personally, I’m ‘on your side’ by passing on the value I place on delivering good quality to my team. Every day, I look at how we can improve our machine or processes.’ And when Pascal spots room for improvement, he finds it easy to address it: ‘At Euramax, it’s easy to get in touch with people, and the lines of communication are short. If I need something done, I can just give someone a call or pop in. Plus, everyone at Euramax is upbeat, and nothing is ever too much trouble.’ Pascal is optimistic about the future: ‘I’m really happy in my role, and there’s still so much I can learn here.’