Who am I?

My name is Måns Lind. I’m 51 and I work as a guide in the Paperboard and Paper business area at our mill in Iggesund. I’ve been working in various roles at Holmen Iggesund since 2014. I started out as a systems analyst and project manager in the IT department and then worked as a planner in Supply Chain before becoming a guide.

In my spare time, I like being out in the countryside but I also like sport and doing some DIY on the family home, which is in Hudiksvall. I live there with my wife Erika and we have two children living at home. 

My workplace 

My workplace covers the whole of north Hälsingland because I’m part of the visits department where I’m one of a team of 13 who plan and carry out visits to Holmen’s facilities and guesthouses in the area. We have two guesthouses in Hälsingland, Grillska Gården and Hedvigsfors Herrgård. Visitors can stay there, have meetings and eat in relaxing surroundings. Most of our visitors are customers but we have lots of other visitors too. Over a year, we host about 80 groups of customers from around the world, giving them guided tours of our forestry and industry. On average we have 2 visits a week (!) and guests stay with us for three days. 

A working day

Monday: We always start the week with a team kickoff meeting. This week’s visitors include a paperboard wholesaler from Germany. After the meeting, it’s time to check the vehicles, plan the forest visit and get weatherproof clothing ready for our guests. When they arrive, we set them up with the gear they need and then we drive them to Hedvigsfors Herrgård and leave them to make themselves at home. 

Tuesday: Today our visitors will get a guided tour of the nursery and a trip into the forest to understand how we grow and look after the forest all the way to harvest at Holmen. Because this is a big group, we go in two coaches and divide the day up between us guides. This time, I will be doing the guided tours of the mill and my colleague Kristin will be the guide in the forest. 

We take a picnic lunch with us in rucksacks and make a campfire to sit round. Many customers appreciate the change of scene and enjoy getting out into the forest with us. 



We spend the afternoon at the mill. 

Wednesday: usually this is a changeover day. One group travels home and we collect and equip a new group. We need to give people lifts to the train, we have to pick up the clothing and take it to be laundered and maintain the coaches and then be ready for the next group to arrive. It’s full on all day! 

Thursday: My day to be the guide in the forest. This group is going to meet one of Holmen’s own harvesting teams and have a go at driving the machinery. You can tell people really like this because they take lots of photos and selfies. 

Friday: Time for this group to go home and this Friday we’ve got a school visit at the mill too where we’ll be showing them how we make paperboard. After lunch it’s time to tidy up again and then I take flexitime to get in a rink bandy session at the Holmen Center ice rink in Hudiksvall.

 

Why Holmen?

I find Holmen a meaningful workplace. I love the forest, forestry and products made from wood. It’s also a company that lets me develop and contribute and that is open to new solutions. This all makes me feel keen to come to work every day. 

 

Conclusion 

That’s all from me. It’s great you wanted to read about a week in my life at work! I hope you think Holmen is an exciting workplace too. Best wishes, Måns