Cooperating Foreman, Edwin van Es: ‘I enjoy seeing how our company has grown over the years and am proud that our process equipment is regarded as the crème de la crème in our sector’

Because he possesses a lot of knowledge and experience in terms of creating process equipment for e.g. the food and cosmetics sectors, besides his colleagues in the production department, he also interacts with other departments at Gpi De Gouwe. “The interaction between our Engineering department and the work floor makes my job so enjoyable, and we continue to learn from each other. Things can look suitable and feasible on drawings, but that is sometimes not the case in practice, or vice versa. And it is great when we can assist one another in this regard.” says Edwin. When he looks back over the years, he sees that Gpi De Gouwe has developed from a ‘tank builder’ to a company that produces the ‘crème de la crème’ of process equipment. “This is great to see, and fills me with a sense of pride”.

No two days are the same
As cooperating foreman, he experiences different things almost every single day. “Besides welding, my activities also include dealing with the planning for the production department. This involves checking whether a project can be started. Or if all components needed to start a project have actually arrived. And if something is missing, it must be taken care of as soon as possible. I assign the various projects to colleagues, follow up how these projects are going, and also perform the required checks and supervision,” adds Edwin. He also performs a final check before projects are presented for the quality inspection. “My work thus also involves production, organisation and inspection. And this diversity is what makes the job so enjoyable”.

Besides all these tasks, he finds plenty of other challenges, feels appreciated as a colleague, and is very committed to Gpi. In addition, he is also very pleased to play a role in the opportunities and support offered within the organisation. For instance, despite his busy schedule, he likes to give tours to secondary school children and makes sure that interns feel enthusiastic about the profession when their time at the company comes to an end, in the hope that they will opt for a career in the metal sector. “I really enjoy doing this, and good welders and sheet metal workers will always be in demand!” says Edwin with a huge smile.