Who am I?
My name is Lennart and I’ve been working at Holmen for almost a year. Although I’m relatively new to Holmen, I’ve worked in the industry for many years. I started as a trainee back in 1988 and since then I’ve held various roles, including wood buyer, transport manager, work area manager and production manager.
“It’s challenging and I love every day of it.”
This industry really appeals to me. I love both the forest and people, and this job is fantastic in the way it allows me to combine the two. I’ve enjoyed every role I’ve had over the years. In fact, I can barely think of five days when I found going to work a chore. This is especially true of my role as a wood buyer – it’s the perfect fit for me. Being out in the forest and combining it with business and people. It’s challenging and I love every day of it. If I had the chance to start over, I would choose the same path again, without hesitation.
My goal when I meet with forest owners is always to create long-term relationships that facilitate lasting cooperation.
I think there are many preconceived ideas about our industry. Many people don’t understand the long-term work that underpins both our business and our operations. My relationships aren’t just about buying wood; we also offer advice to private forest owners. There is a great deal of expertise within the company and we’re more than happy to share it.
How did you end up on this career path?
I decided very early on that I wanted to work in the forestry sector. My dad also worked in the industry, so right from the age of 12 or 13 I knew this was where I wanted to be. After all these years, I feel extremely confident in my career choice. It’s great to have watched the industry evolving since I started – there have been immense changes and we’re doing some amazing things.
Why did you decide to get a job at Holmen?
I’ve always told my customers that if you’re going to do business with a forestry company, you should choose a large company that processes the raw materials at its own production facilities. It provides a level of security. You know that you can always sell your wood and that you will get paid for it without having to resort to bank guarantees.
When rumours started to circulate that Holmen was going to establish itself here in Brunflo, my ears pricked up. I had heard a lot of good things about Holmen and have friends who had worked here.
When the job ad appeared, it made sense for me to apply. Everything felt great throughout the recruitment process and my first impression of Holmen simply got better and better. When the time came to finally make up my mind, I had a little anxiety about making such a big decision. But it was actually my son who made me take the plunge. He said:
“But Dad, maybe you need to explore something new before you retire.”
And he had a point, so I made up my mind.
“I liked the idea of being able to help create something from scratch.”
I haven’t regretted it for a single second. I feel like I’m still in the honeymoon period. People say that when they start a new job, because everything is new and exciting and they’re fully energised. But the longer I’ve worked at Holmen, the more settled in this feeling I’ve become, not least because of all the amazing colleagues I’ve worked with. I like challenges and thought it would be cool to be on the front line when Holmen moved into Jämtland. I liked the idea of being able to help create something from scratch.
What were your early days at Holmen like?
When I joined Holmen, the new office was not fully completed, but we all helped to set up our workplace. Working together to assemble all the furniture was a bit of a symbolic moment. I really appreciate the helpfulness and support from everyone around me; there’s never been any awkwardness.
There was a thorough introduction and a lot of training early on, which made me almost feel a bit impatient – I wanted to get stuck in and get down to business. But doing it this way was a good thing. There’s an approach and a foundation that feels very professional and genuine. Although I’ve attended all sorts of courses and have a lot of experience in buying and negotiating, I needed to go through Holmen’s business training, which everyone has to do. And it was excellent, because it makes sure we’re all on the same page about how the job works. And there was a lot about the brand and who we want to be as a company.
The biggest challenge was to learn all the new systems, but it wasn’t a problem because we got very good support from all our colleagues. I really can’t complain; I got all the support I needed.
Over my first year here, we’ve had many visits and I’ve also travelled around and visited colleagues in different parts of Holmen, which has allowed me to build a large network and really get to know the organisation. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve experienced the same wonderful atmosphere and sense of community.
How would you describe Holmen as a company?
As it turned out, the impression I got during the recruitment process closely matched my actual experience, and if anything, it was even better once I was here. It was more open, more relaxed and easy to get hold of people and get help. You can tell people like it here; everyone is so open, friendly and happy. I’ve now been here almost a year and everything is still just as much fun, with a real family feel. It really shows how genuine the atmosphere is here.
What do think about the leadership here at Holmen?
I like my boss, Jan, very much. I like the way he operates and how we work together as a team. He is both clear and approachable. Jan knows his organisation well and is very knowledgeable; he really knows what he’s doing, and I like that.
Sören, Business Area Manager Forest, visited us on a teambuilding day at the beginning of my employment, and I had an opportunity to talk to him and get his perspective on various issues. I’ve also seen and heard him in other contexts and got a good idea of the kind of leader he wants to be for his business area. I really like his way of looking at employees. He’s open and has a good approach. He has an understanding of everyone’s differences and how we can work together and draw on each other’s strengths to become even better.
Like Jan, Sören knows his organisation inside out, and has an amazing grasp of what we do here. Our regional manager Matilda is also very knowledgeable and has good leadership.
Jan, Matilda and Sören have delivered beyond expectations on what I feel is important to me.
Final words
If I was asked to sum up my time here so far, I’d say it has exceeded expectations, and I look forward to my future here!