30 January 2025

Employee of the Week Interview

Olivier Vincent is a toolmaker at VOTAT: he must constantly ensure that the workshop’s tools are in working order. He sharpens them, cleans them, repairs them… and sometimes even designs them! Olivier is one of the company’s longest-serving employees: he joined in 1984… 41 years ago!

Hello Olivier, have you held any other positions besides this one at Votat?

OV: Yes, as a temp. That was before I did my military service. When I finished my military service, this was the first job I applied for… and I was hired.

Have you moved up much within the company?

OV: At first, I was a warehouse worker; I’d stack sheared sheet metal onto pallets. Then I was assigned to various presses. After that, I set up tools on automated production lines. Then I became a quality control assistant. And when the quality management system (ISO 9001) was implemented, I moved to tooling, the position I currently hold.

What does the job of a toolmaker entail?

OV: I repair, maintain, and improve tools and machines. Since I have a calm and patient disposition, my coworkers can bother me 10 times about the same thing in a single day, and I’ll be available every time. You always have to listen to the operators. When they keep bringing it up, it means there’s definitely a problem, which I’ll try to solve.

What are the benefits of working at Votat?
OV: I’m happy to have been able to grow and take on a variety of tasks in a job not far from home! Solving mechanical problems means every day is different. There’s also a great atmosphere here. We can do our jobs seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.

How do you see your future with the company?
OV: I’m currently training someone to take my place, because I’ll be retiring soon in January 2026! It’s important to pass on my knowledge, because the tools have evolved a lot. There are fewer breakdowns today than there used to be.

Normally, with these new tools and a full year of mentoring, my successor should have fewer problems than I’ve encountered. He has a knack for mechanics, so he has a solid foundation.