“I haven't regretted my switch for a second.”

You work in the Contirod production department. What exactly do you make there?

In our department, we make 8 mm copper wire. That process is really fascinating. Copper goes into the furnace and is melted, afterwards it goes into a collecting furnace and then to the casting machine. Once it comes out of the casting machine, the wire goes to the rolling mill. And there it is gradually, in different diameters, made smaller and smaller. That's what we call rolling. Interesting fact: the wire goes at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour! Per minute, we produce as much as one ton of copper wire.

How did you get to know Aurubis?

I got to know Aurubis through a friend who works in internal logistics here. I worked in construction and spent many hours on the road. To Antwerp, Brussels and that started to bother me. I wanted a job close to home so I could have more time for my family. And I heard a lot of positive stories from my friend. That intrigued me and finally convinced me to take the plunge.

After a career in construction with fixed day shifts, how do you like working shifts?

Going from a fixed day to three shifts is an adjustment for your body, that's true. But a three-shift system has very clear advantages. You have a lot of free time, because if you work in the early shift, you still have a whole afternoon, and if you work the late shift, you have a morning off. When working at night, you get out of bed around 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and so you have an afternoon as well. In my day job, I was away from home for many hours and barely saw my family. And of course also important: the shift premium is a nice monthly financial extra!

In 2023, you will have been with Aurubis Olen for 10 years. How do you look back on those years?

When I started at Aurubis, I was impressed. Before that I had worked in the construction industry for over 20 years so it was very different. Then I worked outside every day and in a small team. Now, almost ten years later, I haven't regretted it for a second. I'm still glad every day that I made the switch. I now have a job that I enjoy doing as well as being close to home, without long commutes. And you know: if you are happy at home, you enjoy coming to work. And if you are happy at work, you go home in a good mood. That effect intensifies on both fronts, and I can only be happy about that!

What is a strength of Aurubis as an employer?

There are very clear expectations and that does give me confidence. This is largely due to the training system within Aurubis Olen. By default, you start as a third operator and then perform basic tasks. Then you are trained as a second operator, with a broader range of tasks. And then you grow into a first operator. I have now been fully trained and it gives me peace of mind to know what is expected of me. Thanks to my experience at Contirod, I now know many details and can train young colleagues. I get a lot of satisfaction from the path I have taken within the company.