As part of our 70th anniversary celebration, we’re meeting some of the employees who have been our colleagues the longest. Read about their career journeys, experiences, and how the daily work has evolved over the years!
Say hello to Martin Stafström!
When did you start working at Thomas Betong AB?
Easy to remember – August 8, 1988.
What was your first role, and what is your current role?
I started as a yard worker, operating a wheel loader and producing spacer blocks at the Värö plant. Today, I’m the Operations Manager at the Mölndal plant.
“It might sound like a cliché, but no two days are ever the same!”
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I’m responsible for operations and team management at the plant, ensuring everything runs smoothly in production.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m 55 years old and live with my wife in Väröbacka. We have a house, so our free time is well occupied! I also enjoy walking the dog, spending time with family and friends, and watching sports on TV. Especially football and Liverpool.
Share a memorable moment from your early years at the company.
I had been working for about three to four weeks and had just started operating the wheel loader. The mixing operator asked me to put ‘peas’ into the ground hoppers, a term I hadn’t heard before. I assumed he meant the lightweight clay pellets lying in the yard and started loading them instead of stone. The silo filled up, but luckily it was the last casting of the day. At lunch, I told my grandfather, who had previously worked at the plant, what I had done. He immediately understood the misunderstanding and called the mixing operator. Fortunately, there were no major consequences. But it’s a memory I’ll never forget!
Share a memorable moment from your time at the company.
Ringhals replaced the steam generators in three of its reactors during my time at Värö. The first replacement was in 1989, and I especially remember how we used ice from Bua fishing village to cool the concrete. We replaced 70–80% of the water with ice and further cooled it with nitrogen gas on site. In 1995, we did it again, this time using cooling coils in the mold. In 2011, another replacement took place, and by then we had refined our methods even more. We cooled the aggregate in refrigerated containers, carefully weighed the ice, and kept the rotators cool by wrapping them in burlap and watering them. Every time these castings were done, the weather was brilliantly sunny, of course!
Tell us about something unexpected that happened during your time at the company, and what it led to.
It has to be when the group initiated an extensive brand development project and unified the entire group in 2015. We were at a conference when it was announced, and I remember we were all quite surprised. I think it was a very positive step that strengthened us as a company and created a greater sense of unity.
What has made you enjoy your work and stay for so long?
It might sound like a cliché, but no two days are the same! Concrete is a fascinating material to work with, from mixing and testing at the plant to the finished result at the construction site. The industry has also evolved tremendously, especially in recent years with new binders, crushed aggregates, and additives. It’s been an exciting journey to be part of!
