Job Talk: Technical Service Technician Bart Kooiman
If you're from Hedel, you know Bakker Goedhart. So does Bart Kooiman. “My grandmother was even friends with the daughter of one of the founders.” Yet, he's the first in his family to work there. Since April last year, he's been a Technical Service Technician at the bakery. “There are so many different types of machines and technology here, and you see the entire process, which is interesting. And the freedom you have here as a technician, that really appealed to me.”
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Responsibility and Variety
Bart completed the training for Lead Technician for industrial systems and installations. He worked for a yacht builder and for several years as a Technical Service Employee at a company in Den Bosch. There, he lacked challenge and variety. That's quite different at Bakker Goedhart.
Being on call for breakdowns, and sometimes being solely responsible for resolving issues at night, was a challenge at first. “In my first month, I already had to come in a few times for a major breakdown. Luckily, I was allowed to call colleagues, and that's how I figured it out.” By now, he knows what might be causing a malfunction in many machines, but you're always learning at Bakker Goedhart. New machines are coming, everything is becoming more digital, technology keeps evolving.”
Learning with New and Old
Bakker Goedhart is investing in new machines in Hedel: “There's a new packaging machine for the hamburger buns, and we have new kneaders on line 1. That's newer technology; it has a screen, and you can see all error messages via a program.” But the ‘old’ lines are still there too. “We work with both new and old, and that's what makes it interesting.” The same goes for the team, by the way; some have been working there for 35 years.
Continuously Improving
The team is close-knit and constantly comes up with ways to improve the process. For example, fixed maintenance days per line are now scheduled to prevent breakdowns. Solutions like these make Bart happy. And so does the freedom he gets for it: “You're asked to come up with an idea, and then you work it out with the Head of Technical Service into a lasting solution. In the year I've been working here, I've already been able to tackle many issues this way.”
Stronger Together
Bart appreciates the collaboration. “If you're stuck, someone always lends a helping hand.” So, he's definitely in the right place. “I can learn a lot here and gain a lot of experience. Ultimately, I do want to grow further, which is certainly possible here. You can become a working foreman, and Theo will, of course, retire someday… First, I need to make sure I become good at my job, and then the rest will follow naturally.”
Working in Technical Services at Bakker Goedhart?
At Bakker Goedhart, you grow with the company. Whether you're a technician or aspire to advance, you'll find opportunities here. Curious about the possibilities? View our technical and Technical Service vacancies.