Mika Has Grown Together with Transmeri Logistics

Mika has grown and developed alongside Transmeri Logistics. He has been involved in developing the company’s production operations for nearly 20 years. “As the work has offered many interesting career turns and new opportunities have always been presented, there has never been a need to change employers,” Mika explains.

After graduating as a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Management, Mika started working at Transmeri in early 2007. This was his first proper job after summer positions and internships. He began his career as a production supervisor in the packing department. In addition to learning his new role, Mika was immediately involved in a project to design a new facility in Piispankylä, Vantaa, to which the company relocated in August 2007.

Following the move, Mika took a step forward in his career as he was appointed as Production Engineer. Over the years, his responsibilities evolved further, and he went on to work as Production Manager and Production Planner. In these roles, he was responsible for the company’s entire production, and later also for logistics alongside production. At its largest, his team consisted of approximately 40 people. “I’ve been raised within the company into many different roles. It’s been rewarding to receive new opportunities and to grow gradually into the shoes of each new position. When those shoes started to feel tight, new challenges were placed on the table,” Mika says. The opportunity to grow and develop is one of the main reasons why he is still with his first employer, he reflects. Mika also feels he has gained valuable learning and new perspectives from colleagues as teams and coworkers around him have changed over time.

In 2019, Transmeri Logistics implemented a quality management system. At that time, there was no Quality Manager in the organization, and Mika was approached with the question of whether he would be willing to take on the role of Quality and Development Manager, along with some additional responsibilities related to projects and investments. “That’s when my fourth role with the same employer began, and that’s the path I’m still on today,” Mika says. He feels that in a familiar organization it has been easy to step into a new role, as the processes are already well known.

“What I value about the Transmeri Group is that it is family-owned. The owners have faces — I’ve met them many times. The company is approaching its 100th anniversary, and I want to be part of building the future and the next 100 years,” Mika says. Mika has grown up while working for the Transmeri Group together with Transmeri Logistics. “I’ve spent a large part of my life here, and even after all these years, I still feel I have something to give and can see areas around me that can be improved,” he reflects. One of Mika’s development mantras is: “If something works, don’t change it just for the sake of change.” “I try to enable others to succeed. I aim to develop operations in a way that helps others perform better,” he adds.

The development of Transmeri Logistics has been a marathon rather than a 100‑meter sprint, as is often the case in family-owned businesses. The same applies to Mika’s career within the company. Both continue to have strong confidence in the future. Recent investments in the factory, such as a new packaging line, are clear evidence of this. “There has been no need to worry about who turns off the lights — the company is moving forward,” Mika says.

At this company, not everything is ready-made. The work involves digging into issues and figuring things out. Some find that kind of work demanding, while others enjoy it — and here, you really need to enjoy it, Mika explains. The company is not large, which means employees have the opportunity to influence things. Job roles are broad, enabling continuous learning without being confined to a narrowly defined box.

Mika is currently working with his seventh supervisor during his career. “From each of them, I’ve learned something, and I’ve always been given the opportunity to develop my skills and put them to use for the benefit of the company. When it comes to development, I want to do things right the first time. Sometimes that means moving a bit more slowly, but it’s better than repeating the same mistake twice,” Mika says.

What has kept Mika with the same employer throughout his entire career? The work community, colleagues, the opportunity to continuously develop his skills, organizational growth, and gaining new perspectives, Mika reflects. He has also been able to challenge himself at group-wide events — including performing and singing Elvis on stage in playback twice. “It’s been great to see that CEOs, members of management teams, and employees from different organizations have all eagerly thrown themselves into these activities. Work and culture here have never been stiff or overly formal,” Mika says.