Simo Alatarvas
- Title: Technical Support Engineer
- Education: Bachelor of Engineering
- At Betker: Since 2019
- Leisure Time: Mountain biking, fishing, spending time at the summer cottage
When Simo Alatarvas swapped his steel mill overalls for the role of Technical Support Engineer at Betker, he brought with him a valuable perspective from the customer’s side. Previously, he had worked for many years at Outokumpu in various roles, including in the product development laboratory, as an operator, and as a supervisor. Now he applies that experience to benefit customers by developing refractory solutions.
“Betker was running some product tests, and I heard there might be a need for a new technical support engineer in Tornio. It just so happened my contract at Outokumpu was about to end soon,” Simo recalls.
He expressed his interest, and a few weeks later the phone rang. The work on the other side of the customer interface could begin.
A Job That Solves Concrete Challenges
Simo works as Betker’s Technical Support Engineer from Tornio, focusing especially on the Outokumpu Tornio plant and SSAB’s Luleå site. In addition to his degree in engineering, he brings solid process industry expertise and a straightforward approach to customer work.
While his education gave him a solid technical foundation, most of his current specialist knowledge has been built through hands-on work experience—and today he is one of the few experts in his field in Finland.
His role includes both selling products and solutions and providing technical support to customers: identifying problems and solving them using Betker’s product range.
“In the morning, I might be monitoring how test materials perform in the process, and in the afternoon, I’m in a meeting wearing a suit. The key is to understand the customer’s process and find the solution that works best for them,” Simo explains.
Freedom, Variety, and Influence
For Simo, the appeal of the job lies in its variety and the ability to shape his own work.
“I can decide what we aim for and how we get there.”
Although Betker operates internationally, it is still the right size to be agile. Simo appreciates that things don’t get stuck in limbo—decisions are made quickly.
Go ahead and join us
Simo also has a clear message for those looking to enter the industry or interested in career opportunities:
“Don’t hesitate to get in touch. Even if there’s no open position right now, opportunities may come up later. We also have interesting topics for thesis projects.”
For Simo, working at Betker is meaningful, diverse, and engaging.
“Here, you can truly develop things and be part of the customer’s process – that motivates me every day.”
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