“I thought I wouldn’t last a week, let alone 8 years”: Interview with Viorel Tamba, department leader, HS Baco (Comanesti)

32-years old Viorel Tamba joined the HS blockboard factory in Comanesti straight after University. A business and marketing graduate, his career shift towards the timber industry left many puzzled, none more so than himself. Yet he learned a lot about wood and gathered a strong team that now operates the most modern section of the Comanesti plant.

Viorel, you’ve been with the company since right after it joined the Schweighofer Group. Tell us how you came here.

I studied business and marketing at the University of Bacau and the job market was scarce, so I returned to my hometown and took a chance. I joined the company, first in the Quality Department. It was quite a transition, since I didn’t know much about wood back then. But I stayed there for two years and learned a lot, then slowly progressed to production, where I made shift leader, and since 2016 I’ve been the department leader of Baco IV, the largest and most modern blockboard section we have here.

I was probably the first in the new section. When the machines were installed, I worked together with international teams (from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Norway) that brought them here and set them up. I was their “interface”, since I spoke English. I had the opportunity to learn the equipment firsthand, and afterwards I could build a strong and capable team.

What did you know about blockboard when you joined?

I didn’t even know there was such a product, I couldn’t recognize wood species – which one is spruce, which one is fir, pine, and so on. I knew nothing about the wood industry, despite being born and raised in a region with history and tradition built around forests, and also having graduated from a high-school with a strong wood processing major. But I chose to study math and computer science in high-school and didn’t think much about wood. Maybe now I wouldn’t take the same path again. Blockboard is an amazing product, extremely versatile, perfect for furniture and design, as well as for formwork – we manufacture large scale shuttering panes.

How do you feel about joining the company now, after more than 8 years?

At first I had no hopes of progressing so much. Actually, I thought I wouldn’t last a week. But I was eager to learn, I worked hard, and the management took notice, so they challenged me more, promoted me and let me manage my own team. The rest is history, as they say.

What was the biggest challenge so far?

The entire Baco IV project. I was still relatively new to the industry, it wasn’t easy to learn the processing technology. There’s a lot of mechanical knowledge involved, as well as automation and of course the product, there’s a lot of details essential to its qualities.

And now you lead the largest section in the factory.

It’s not the largest team, other departments have more colleagues, but, yes, our section has the largest production capacity and the biggest machines. We’re a strong team, and we are proud of our work and results.

Any funny stories at work?

Every day [he laughs].

Then something you can tell?

When we set up the new gluing machine we kind of “experimented” with an electrical valve. So we got covered in glue, from head to toes, all of us, the entire team. We started laughing, the German engineers who were tuning it were laughing as well, we took selfies – we looked like the Swamp Thing. But that’s how you learn, you might as well have fun in the process.

So it’s a good vibe at work

Yes. There’s good team spirit in every shift and healthy competition among shifts – everyone wants to be the best.

How do you keep your team motivated?

We meet a lot after work. We have this continuity between the professional and personal lives. I believe it’s very important to listen to your colleagues and establish trust. Since I’ve been department leader, I hope I’ve created a strong unit here. Recently the company offered leadership training, I’ve learned new things and I’m eager to put it into practice.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still with the company, obviously. I enjoy the department and the production line a lot. I have this business degree, I could do sales or other office work, but I enjoy working with people and seeing this product come from our efforts. I also think we’re on a good path here, with our involvement projects such as Tomorrow’s Forest and the continued support for the community, such as our taking part in the Big Build project in Bacău last year – I was very glad to be a part.