)){kind=small}
)){kind=small}
)){kind=small}
)){kind=small}
)){kind=small}
You’ve just attained your degree and the big wide world awaits you. You want a job where you can put your passion for electromechanics to good use, make the best possible use of your social skills, and where there’s plenty of day-to-day variety. Mattijs Berteloot hoped to find just that mix at Strukton Rail, and hasn’t been bored for a single day since he chose to work as Project Planner at Strukton Catenary Europe (SCE).
Strukton grants its employees plenty of flexibility, but also expects the same from its staff now and then. How staff changes are anticipated, how peaks and troughs in the workload are absorbed, how unexpected matters – like the recent train accident in Leuven – are incorporated into the current work schedule: this is one of the great strengths of both the firm and of all its employees who endorse our typical ‘hands on’ mentality.
At SCE we try to keep the lines of communication with each other open at all times. The head of our department is typical of those coming from the northern Netherlands: Ben Kosse, who works in both the Netherlands and Belgium. The communication is clear and transparent. I always know exactly where I stand. And in our ‘operational triangle’ (my project team comprising a project planner, a site manager and a project leader) I know what I do well, what can be improved, what still needs to be done, what my role is here… I don’t expect to face any sudden surprises, which is a good feeling.
A passenger train derailed in Leuven on Saturday 18 February 2017. I received a phone call on the Sunday from site manager Ben (Clauwaert), telling me Strukton Rail would undertake the repair work. It’s really difficult to describe the mixed feelings I had about this message: I was very excited about tackling a major accident. We began drawing up an overall plan for this project at the offices in Merelbeke on the Monday, and then went to Leuven to assess the situation further and to defend the plan at the customer’s premises. What followed was probably the most hectic week I’ve ever experienced. Ultimately the various Strukton Rail teams managed to complete all the repair work within the week. I learned a lot from that week, and I derived lots of satisfaction from it.
It was more than a baptism of fire for me personally, but it also confirmed that Strukton Rail guarantees challenging projects, intense contacts and a high-quality result.