Building World-Class Expertise

“When I met parts of the Trafo team during the job interview, I knew I wanted to be part of the Møre Trafo family and that this was a job I wanted,” says Marcin Gården.

He has made his mark as an ambitious, forward-leaning production manager in several companies on Sunnmøre. He says his two great passions are family and volleyball, but probably forgot to mention the third – work.

“Working with people motivates me. I’m driven by growth, learning, teamwork, and the chance to influence, contribute, and inspire,” says Marcin about what drives him.

Poland

Marcin moved to Norway after completing a master’s degree in economics with a specialization in international trade at the University of Szczecin in Poland. During his studies, he interned at a marketing company while playing professional volleyball.

Ekornes

In 2010 he joined Ekornes, where he worked in production for a few years before moving into a role as Lean Coordinator (Lean is a production engineering philosophy that aims for maximum value creation for the customer with minimal use of resources). During his time at Ekornes there was extensive experimentation with production flow, and Marcin achieved certification as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

MOWI and Jetz

In 2019 he was improvement manager at one of the world’s most advanced salmon processing plants – MOWI, before Jets recruited him as Production Director in 2021. There Marcin was responsible for the production process and Lean development at several factories in Norway, Latvia and China.

Why Møre Trafo

— When I worked in Sykkylven, we always heard something good about Møre Trafo. That they were strong on development, their approach to technology and production technology. And maybe most important: Strong values and a strong company culture, says Marcin.

As Factory Manager, he focuses on carrying forward the safe, solid working environment so the teams can give their full attention to quality and product flow.

Main Responsibilities

“An important task is to build a system that helps our employees develop and expand their skills and gives us more flexibility. And we need to streamline processes, methods, and machines through continuous improvement and implementation of innovative technological solutions such as robotics, digitalization, and automation,” says Marcin.

He also believes that expanding the factory and introducing a new layout will be important to deliver products on time, reach future targets, and meet customer requirements.

Objectives

— I want to help Møre Trafo build world-class expertise through skilled people and technology, by implementing the factory’s development strategy, and by connecting everyone to the company’s strategy and vision, says Marcin about his long-term goals.

The company and the factory are currently going through major changes with new buildings, machines, processes, and systems – all to streamline the production flow.

— I will work on the structure to carry out these changes. In the near future we will focus strongly on new production support systems, and plan a new layout that will give better product and logistics flow. It’s about small improvements every day by everyone, everywhere, and it’s about building awareness that we are all responsible for improvements. Just as we are all responsible for quality, every day. Quality today means success tomorrow, says Marcin.

Technology and Møre Trafo

Marcin believes Møre Trafo can’t afford to fall behind. The company’s expertise must keep pace with technological advances. According to Marcin, Møre Trafo is a good example of how the development of people and technology goes hand in hand. In the future, he believes it will be all about the speed and flexibility to initiate and implement changes.

Leadership Style

— I balance between building strong relationships and offering challenges. I am honest and act in line with my values. I value high standards and structure, and I expect transparency from my organization. Team values and communication are very important to me. And I want to be present on the floor, understand situations, reach agreement, and support changes.

And he cares a lot about giving his employees motivation factors like influence, impact, responsibility, authority, a voice, mastery, celebration, and the chance to be visible.

Sustainability in Industry

— Everyone will face the same challenges. We have to optimize how we use our resources to minimize waste and costs. Apply circular economy concepts like reuse, recycling, and repair. We must monitor and improve sustainability in our supply chains, follow up on standards and labor rights, and reduce our environmental footprint, says Marcin, who believes that stricter environmental regulations and policies will force the industry to adapt quickly.

Free Time

In his free time, Marcin Gården focuses on two passions: his family and volleyball, where the hobby has also turned into a kind of career path.

“I coach the Norwegian U20 national volleyball team and TIF Viking Bergen Elite. I love spending time with my family, who are all involved in sports. We also like to spend time in the mountains and go hiking when we can,” says Marcin Gården, who is really looking forward to getting into the swing of things and throwing himself into the job as the new factory manager at Møre Trafo.