WIDE OPERATION RANGE SETTLED THE DECISION ... - Vahterus

Vahterus&UsQUALITY THROUGH PEOPLEThe constant development of steel materialskeeps purchasers at Vahterus alert.-New materials are more and more madefor specific end-uses. For example, for thepetrochemistry industry, perfect materialsfor specific needs are constantly developed,says Project Purchaser Matti Luomahaara.The four purchasers at Vahterus constantlywork in close cooperation with project managersand designers within projects.Europe during the summer holidays and thishas to be taken into account.Challenges occur when material supplierslisted by the client expect orders of hundredsof units but we only need one or two unitsfor a unique project. In these cases it can beeven difficult to get an offer.-Then we try open every possible doorand call all possible contacts to discuss thecase. Open communication with clients andchallenges. We have the right tools and connectionsall over the world. There is nothingwe cannot handle. This is part of our companystrategy, emphasizes Luomahaara.In March, it will be four years since MattiLuomahaara got interested in the growingcompany and joined team Vahterus. Justbefore joining the company, Luomahaara,together with his wife, had found a place fortheir own house in Luonnonmaa in Naantali.Purchaser knows constantly developing materialsMatti Luomahaara, Purchaser-My responsibility is purchasing, in otherwords buying materials for ongoing projects.It’s my task to know the materials and makepurchasing decisions according to what isrequired by the project and the client, explainsLuomahaara.The most demanding purchases are usuallymade for the petrochemistry industry aswell as projects for large power plants.-We have big clients with specific needs.They are very precise about material qualityand quality testing. Only specific suppliersare qualified, explains Luomahaara.Luomahaara has worked as a purchaserat Vahterus for about four years. Accordingto Luomahaara, it is possible to acquire thebasic information of steel materials throughstudying but in the end the knowledge ismainly gained through work.-One’s has to be a multiply skilled person,be familiar manufacturing techiques as wellas know and recognize materials. New materialsare introduced every year, which makesthe work interesting.For materials that are needed on a regularbasis, Vahterus uses its own network of suppliers.Most of the needed materials is basicblack and clear pressure vessel steel andmost of the materials come from Germany,England, the Netherlands, Sweden and ofcourse Finland.-Suppliers that we have cooperated withfor many years know our demands and thatwe are always in a hurry. There are fast deliveriesand even faster, ”Vahterus –deliveries”,says Luomahaara and laughs.One of the main issues of the job is to makepurchases so that the required schedule canbe kept and to make sure that the price paidfor each material is the right one.-It is important to anticipate possible challengesof production. One has to communicatethem to project managers and designers.For example, we cannot get materials fromsuppliers is needed to find a balance. Sometimesthe solution satisfies all parties, sometimesit is better for one of them. However,these experiences teach us a great deal andthe information gained can be used for allparties’ advantage in future cases.The list of material suppliers approvedby the client can also be rather short andthe companies listed may be located faraway and be previouslyunknown for Vahterus.-The star tingpoint is that forus, there areno insurmountableThe house was finished in 2008. It’s locatedfive kilometres from the nearest suburb withsea and nature all around.-Most of my hobbies are at sea, I fish andhunt in the archipelago, explains Luomahaara.The family’s daughter is now threeyears old and she will be getting a new siblingin the spring.Matti Luomahaara8