Antti Waajakoski was appointed as the Director of the Kaukas sawmill at the beginning of 2018. Antti had previously worked as the Production Manager of the Kaukas sawmill. In this post, he was in charge of the operational activities and managing supervisors for almost a year.
As the Director of the sawmill, Antti is responsible for the operation of the entire Kaukas sawmill. “Safety is always a priority. After safety, the main focus is on ensuring the financial performance of the sawmill while fulfilling our customer promise .” says Antti. “As Director of the sawmill, the key aspects to consider are ensuring consistent quality and reliable deliveries in particular. Together with our excellent sales service we aim to create true added value for our customers and stand out among competitors”.
For Antti, the forest industry was a natural choice during his studies for his Master of Science in Engineering, who started his career in production. “When I had to choose my speciality, it felt natural to go with the forest industry; it has always been an important field for Finland”, explains Antti. Before moving into the sawmill business, Antti had a long career in UPM’s paper mills in Voikkaa and Kaukas as a summer employee. After graduating, he became a development engineer at the Rauma paper mill. Following on from paper production, he began working in the mineral wool business, holding various posts over eight years.
After his time in the mineral wool industry, Antti continued his career by returning to UPM. “UPM is a strong Finnish employer that generates wellbeing within a wide sector, helping both its own employees and other parties such as forest owners. I have a lot of faith in UPM’s future, and I am proud to be able to work for UPM again”, says Antti. “I have enjoyed working at the Kaukas sawmill, and we have an excellent work atmosphere here. I find the sawn timber business completely fascinating. The production process requires a vast amount of expertise, and each employee’s input within the production chain is very important for creating an excellent product” Antti concludes.