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When Trond Rismoen returned to Norske Backer in 2007 with a fresh engineering degree in his briefcase, he had to share an office for a few months with Sigurd Bergkvist. The two colleagues, who both received support from their employers to study engineering, have worked together in the design department ever since.
-It was a time of change at Norske Backer AS. It was the last few months in the old premises at Langeland in Kongsvinger, and it had already been decided that our series production would be transferred to our sister factory in Poland. The management took some time to find out where I was most needed. So I had to share an office with Sigurd, and luckily they found a place for me in the design department," says Trond Rismoen.
Gjøvik Technical College
Both Sigurd Bergkvist and Trond Rismoen studied automation at upper secondary school, completed their apprenticeships at Norske Backer AS, and received support from their employers to study engineering at Gjøvik University College (HiG).
- "It was former general manager Kenneth Judin who called and wondered if I would like more education. It was the year after I got my trade certificate, and I was on leave because of my national service. That was in 1998/99. The boss said that if I did, they would provide financial support.
- "This was too good an offer to turn down, and I didn't need more than a couple of days to think about it," says Sigurd Bergkvist, who had his first day of work at Norske Backer AS back in 1996.
- I had a placement here a few days a month in my final year of high school. Later, I was offered an apprenticeship here, and took my trade certificate in 1998.
The automation line
Like Trond Rismoen, Sigurd Bergkvist spent his first year at Sentrum upper secondary school in Kongsvinger, and like his colleague, there was no doubt that he wanted to study mechanics. But at that time there was no automation line at the school in Kongsvinger, and while Rismoen completed his upper secondary education in Brumunddal, Bergkvist spent his final year in Hamar.
Both were determined that it was the industry that was most appealing.
-"Automatic mechanic was the closest you could get to a profession that didn't involve welding or car mechanics," says Rismoen, while Bergkvist says that he has always enjoyed technical challenges.
-"There was a lot of Lego in my childhood," he laughs.
Compulsory service
- "On August 20, 2021, it was 20 years ago that Trond Rismoen started as an apprentice at Norske Backer AS. He remembers well the first time he was called into the "booth" of Arne Olsberg, who was in charge of maintenance at the workshop at the time."
-"I had applied to become an apprentice here, and I was made very welcome straight away. Overall, it was a great apprenticeship, with a lot of varied tasks and very good training," says the engineer, who also worked every summer and as much as he could at Norske Backer AS while he was studying engineering.
Trond Rismoen got his own office in the construction department when Norske Backer AS moved to its new premises at the SIVA industrial area a few kilometers outside Kongsvinger city center in the summer of 2008, and could not think of a better place to work.
-"I did two years of compulsory service after my studies, but I haven't even considered any other place of work in the years since. I've been at work here no later than 6:30 in the morning for all these years, and I'll continue to do so for as long as I can.
Continuous development
Both Bergkvist and Rismoen emphasize the good working environment at Norske Backer AS.
-"We have very little turnover here, and it's rare for anyone to leave before they have to retire," says Rismoen, who also finds the field, and not least customer contact, both exciting and challenging.
The two engineers talk about a field that is constantly evolving, where digital tools in particular are becoming increasingly important.
-"We now have our own programs for strength calculations and a number of other special digital tools that allow us to solve technical challenges much faster and easier than before. In some cases, this can actually lead to solutions that simply wouldn't have been possible without these tools," says Sigurd Bergkvist, who is now head of the five-man design department at Norske Backer AS.
- "But there are still some manual tasks. From time to time there are heat calculations and strength calculations that require good, old-fashioned expertise."