Michael Zentio

Tell us about your work!

– As an operator, I work at all stations here in the factory in Tegsnäset, from intake and cutting to planing and inspection and then packing and budnling. We rotate every hour, which gives a good variation in the work and you stay alert all the time. As a shift leader, I'm also responsible for supervising my shift. There are four employees in my group and we work day shifts every other week and afternoon shifts every other week.

You worked 27 years in healthcare but switched to industry. Why?

– This is true. A couple of years ago it became necessary to move from Linköping to Tegsnäset because my partner, who comes from here, was given the opportunity to take over her family farm. Our children will actually be the fifth generation on the farm. In connection with the move, I realised that industry was important here, so I chose to get a forklift operator licence and looked for work in the local area. After a while, I got the opportunity to try a job at Tegsnäs Group, which was successful. That's the way it is!

What did you know about Tegsnäs Group before?

– Since we spent many summers here, I knew the company a little bit and was acquainted with some of the people who worked here. Therefore, it felt both safe and exciting to start working here.

What is the best part of the job?

– It's a combination of several things. It is an exciting business because there is a lot going on and the work is varied. Since I come from a different industry, I also learn new things all the time. We develop new products and more customers are added. We have a straightforward and open dialogue in the company and both my colleagues and management are great to deal with. I really appreciate that.

What are the challenges in your work?

– One challenge is to position the planer so that it is optimally adjusted. We work with planed products, the machines work at a high speed and wood is a living natural material with different conditions. That's why it's important to be both sensitive and accurate, to make the right settings so that the result is as good as possible based on the specifications.

What do you do in your spare time?

– Then I like to fix something at home on the farm or go fishing. I have been competitive fishing for many years and am very involved in Swedish fishing, not least in the community Swedish Anglers.

(By the way, did you know that Michael Zentio is the Swedish team fishing champion and about to become so for the third time. He has also caught Sweden's second largest Canadian trout in 2023, weighing 10.38kg).