Those who work strenuously reach their goals in the end. Siwert Martinsson is probably the first to sign it. He has been working at Beslag & Metall since 1974 and still thrives as the fish in the water.
Siwert Martinsson had just graduated from compulsory school when he applied for work at Beslag & Metall. The youth was promised a job after the holiday but really it didn’t.
– Just a week after the job interview, the then CEO, Björn, called and said that one of their automatic dispensers had become ill. I then got the question if I could start right away and so it got to be, says Siwert.
3,500 tools
At that time, Beslag & Metall had 20 employees and Siwert’s tasks consisted of turning capsules into the Defense Forces’ exercise ammunition.
It turned out that Siwert had the aptitude for the work and remained at the turning laths until 1982, when he started as a toolmaker. Since the turn of the millennium, he is the supervisor of the tool department, where 15 employees work around the clock to keep the company’s 3,500 tools in the best condition. The 60-year-old has witnessed a tremendous development during his time at the company.
– When I started at the tool department, we were five employees and the largest tools were just under one meter long. Today, the largest tools measure 6.5 meters and weigh 70 tons. Many of the tools we do completely, from CAD ritting to being ready for operation. Accuracy, analytical ability and a willingness to solve problems are important characteristics of a tool maker, says Siwert.
Appreciate development opportunities
After almost a whole professional life within one and the same company, it naturally comes down to asking the question what has got Siwert to stay in?
– Two important factors are that I am really passionate about tools and that my managers have given me the chance to develop within the company.
After all the years, I know the employees and the business well and are close to the management since we are a private company with short decision paths. I couldn’t have been better than I have it today, he says.
If Siwert is allowed to become nostalgic for a while, he will be happy to remember the beginning of times when CEO Björn came down and talked to one while every morning with Siwert and his colleagues. By that time, the current CEO, Marcus, was Björns son, only a few years old. He used to wave from the kitchen window every day when Siwert went home from work. There are also memories that stand out more from everyday lunch.
– Björn and I went to Karlskoga by car and tow a winter night at one point, to deliver urgent articles to a customer. And another time in the 1970s, we worked around the clock at the automatic lathes to keep pace with the order intake.
Dreaming of a Ferrari
As a counterweight to the sometimes intense days at work, Siwert likes to hunt and work in the forest at her parental home. He also renovates old cars, most recently it was a Mustang convertible of the 1969 model that was set up for new condition. The dream, however, is to be able to buy a car of the sort worse at some point.
– I’m dreaming of a red Ferrari, preferably the last vintage that had a suction motor. That model sounds so terribly awesome at full throttle, says Siwert.
Siwert Martinsson
Age: 60
Living: In a villa in Tenhult
Family: Wife and two daughters
Employed since: 1974
Current service: Supervisor in the engineering department
Hobbies: Hunting, working in the woods, carpentry on the house and renovating old cars
Hidden talent: Can the five-digit number of most tools at Beslag & Metal. “Colleagues call me occupational injury, haha!“