Who am I

Hello!

My name is Joel Johansson, I’m 22 years old and I live in Hudiksvall. I work as a sawmill operator at the planing mill at Iggesund Sawmill, where I’ve been since the start-up in 2024.

In my free time, I exercise quite a bit, and if there’s time left over, I enjoy spending it with friends. I’m also involved in football, where I both referee and run courses for new referees. In the Premier League, it’s all about Spurs!

 

The planing mill as a workplace

At the planing mill, we have a team manager, a planing technician, and four operators. We’re still in the start-up phase, and there’s a lot to learn as everything is new. On August 28 last year, we planed our very first piece here in Iggesund.

The work involves a lot of monitoring, but also quite a bit of hands-on labour. Since the facility is new, we often encounter challenges and have to find solutions almost daily – something I really enjoy!

Today, we plane cladding, joists, and decking.

A working day at the planing mill

I usually start my day with a cup of coffee – if I have time. The machines start at 7 am, and after that, we perform checks to ensure that the planed pieces have the correct dimensions and quality.

When the pieces have passed through the planer, they are sorted into different compartments based on length and grade. Then they’re stacked into packs by the packing machine. The finished packs are wrapped in plastic, strapped, and prepared for the tractor driver to pick up for delivery.

Throughout the day, we carry out several quality checks to make sure the boards meet the required standards. If we notice any deviations, we have to stop production and investigate the issue. It might be, for example, that a tool in the planer has been damaged.

Before we head home for the day, we blow the planer clean of wood shavings and check that everything looks good.

Why Holmen?

What I appreciate most about Holmen and my workplace is my colleagues, but also that I’ve had the opportunity to learn new things in several different departments. This has given me a broader and deeper understanding of the entire production flow – from log to finished product.

I started at Holmen the same week I graduated from school, working at the trimming saw here at Iggesund Sawmill. Since then, I’ve also learned how to drive a forklift.

Finally

That’s all from me! Thanks for reading.

/Joel