What kind of company is Marakon as an employer? To mark the anniversary year, we sat down with two people – one who has just started their career at Marakon, and one who retired from the company a few years ago.
Vilma Suokas is one of Marakon's newest additions. She started working as a warehouse employee at the end of March, and is responsible for, among other things, goods receiving, spare part deliveries for maintenance, and shipping spare parts abroad. Vilma, who drives a forklift on a daily basis, works in a team of four, all of whom do similar warehouse work.
A longer experience with Marakon belongs to Teuvo Soppela, who worked at Marakon for almost 30 years. He joined the company in 1989, when company owner Kari Veijalainen asked him to head the domestic service operations for Rammer hammers. Teuvo, who retired in 2018 – known as "Teva" – looks back on his years at Marakon with warmth.
"I really enjoyed working at Marakon. Even though the work was hands-on, I got to be in contact with customers on a daily basis. I also liked the fact that the focus was always on serving customers, and time wasn't wasted on unnecessary internal meetings", says Teuvo.
A family business work culture
Both Vilma Suokas and Teuvo Soppela praise Marakon's family business-like work culture, in which the owners are naturally involved in the company's day-to-day operations.
"I have really enjoyed my time at Marakon. The company is smaller than my previous employer, and I feel that here people are treated more as individuals and their work contribution is genuinely valued", says Vilma.
"One of the best things about a smaller family business is the direct communication with everyone. If you need an opinion or help, you can talk about things directly with the CEO or the owner, and there are no unnecessary middlemen," concludes Teuvo.