Ihab | Production Team Leader

As the Production Team Leader, it is my job to make sure everyone in the factory can do their job. This means that I assign people to the various machines based on the production slips. I make sure the machine is set up/converted for the work in question and take care of troubleshooting where necessary. I always prefer to have people rotate between different tasks as much as possible, so that they can do a lot of different things and stay motivated. Aside from that, I keep an eye on delivery dates and conduct checks. And I simply make sure I’m where I’m needed.

In this job, I feel responsible for how the people here develop. It is important to have a good working atmosphere and for morale to stay high. If you have that, the company runs like a well-oiled machine. In the years that I’ve been working here, I’ve seen the company grow tremendously and have had the privilege of helping a lot of new colleagues get settled into their jobs, which is very rewarding to do.

When I was 18, I joined Van der Valk as a general assembly work assistant. They notice it here when you show initiative and join the thought process on solutions, which gives you the confidence to keep growing. Meanwhile, I’ve been working here for 15 years, I’ve operated all the machines, and I get to lead a team of fantastic people.

The great thing about this company is the mentality: you can always talk to anyone, regardless of their position in the organisation. People are not reduced to numbers here, but really treated as persons, and everyone treats each other with respect.