Interview

Three questions for Blaž Šauperl

In the company Farmtech, which last year for the first time greatly exceeded the limit of EUR 40 million with sales revenues, 1,300 units of machines for agricultural and 210 units of machines for environmental program are produced in two manufacturing plants in Ljutomer.

Production has a great deal of credit for this and the person responsible for this is Blaž Šauperl, who has been the new production manager at one of the two manufacturing plants in Ljutomer since November last year.

1. You have been at Farmtech since 2018. What expertise do you bring with you?

I started my career in the production of a reference company from the region and continued and upgraded it as an operational purchaser, thus gaining a lot of knowledge and a wide range in key areas directly related to production. In 2018, I was offered the opportunity at Farmtech for a planner job, which I grabbed with both hands. After two years of doing this work and getting to know the specifics, trust and cooperation with other production departments, I took over the position of a warehouse manager, where I continued to develop my skills, exchange knowledge, implement more complex projects, solve problems and gain first experience in organizing and leading a larger team. Personnel changes in the company and the established operation of the warehouse meant that I was able to hand over the latter to my successor, and in November 2020 I took over the position of a production manager at the plant with the paint shop and installation of both agricultural and environmental technology. In addition to professional competences and a trustworthy character, the most important thing is that I now do what makes me happy and gives me motivation to move forward.

2. What is your role in the company and what are the main tasks of a production manager?

Production management is certainly one of the most important functions in the company, which I am well aware of and presents me with a great career and personal challenge. I have accepted a great deal of responsibility towards the company, colleagues and the environment, but I am convinced that with my team and with a lot of positive attitude, I will justify or even exceed the expectations. Working in production is working with people and requires a lot of patience and ingenuity. It is necessary to connect all departments, manage, lead and motivate the entire team and focus on the many tasks that production faces. With the heads of individual departments, we always make sure that employees have the best possible working conditions, well-being and relationships at work, as we are aware that only a quality work environment ensures quality and long-term sustainability of the work process and sustainable benefits for all of us. The safety of our employees is the number one priority, not only during a coronavirus epidemic, but in general. Despite the unpredictable situation on the market, we want to continue to create and provide safe, stable jobs and take care of the professional and personal growth of our employees – therefore we offer them many additional educations, training, certifications.

3. What are the biggest challenges for production and what goals, expectations and plans do you have for the future?

Farmtech is well prepared for the challenges ahead. We are optimistic and ambitious, but also realistic. We want to continue to offer quality products to the market, strengthen our position in the market and continue the success story. For many years, we have been continuously investing in the development of new products and new production technologies that will continue to ensure competitiveness, while constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations. The key concern in production at the moment is to ensure a smooth flow and to ensure sufficient capacity for proper and timely delivery. Our development strategy for a longer period of time defines a concrete growth plan, so we will have to act quickly and systematically in production and further adapt, optimize and automate processes. In addition to providing additional production capacity, the priority will be given to increasing productivity in existing plants. It will be necessary to provide greater flexibility and responsiveness and implement examples of good practice. In any event, we will continue to create new, attractive jobs. I expect an even more active role and responsibility from my employees, as there is a huge potential in them and the long-term success of the organization will certainly depend on the entire team as well as the efficient production system.