At Aalberts advanced mechatronics, we work in a fast-growing and highly technical industry for fast-growing and highly demanding customers. This means that we constantly need to improve ourselves and how we work. One colleague who has consistently demonstrated the kind of passion for excellence and continuous improvement we need is Fabian Peren, SQA Engineer at Lamers.
An exciting, fast-growing industry
Before he joined Lamers, Fabian studied watchmaking in the Netherlands, then worked as a watchmaker at a renowned firm before starting his own watchmaking company. After a few years, he wanted to transition to a job that was broader in scope. Given his enjoyment for working with small, highly technical components, the semiconductor industry was a logical next step.
In his search for a suitable company, he got into contact with Lamers. “The industry was very interesting and exciting to me,” Fabian explains. “Besides that, Lamers is a good-sized company that’s growing fast, and it seemed like there would be plenty of opportunities for me to learn and develop myself.”
Turning an injury into an opportunity
Fabian joined Lamers about four years ago. He started out working in what is known as the “cleanstreet,” an area of the cleanroom dedicated to cleaning components when they first come in. “This gave me the chance to quickly get familiar with the wide array of products we make for our customers,” Fabian explains.
Fabian then moved into quality control, but eventually suffered a knee injury which limited his mobility and forced him to switch jobs. After his surgery, he got the opportunity to create a report about cleanroom production processes and start attending meetings of the Q Force, a project team focused on making quality improvements on the factory floor at Lamers.
The report was well received, and the Q Force meetings helped Fabian collaborate with a new group of colleagues. This included Jeen de Vries, QHSE Manager at Lamers, who then invited Fabian to join his QHSE team as a Supply Quality Assurance Engineer. “I had a few options, but I liked Jeen and knew I could learn a lot from him, so I decided to go for it,” Fabian says.
Growing fast and advancing technologically
In his new role, Fabian has been working mainly with suppliers to resolve quality complaints and improve processes. So far it’s been even better than he expected. “I started out working in one of our older cleanrooms, but then got moved to a newer cleanroom with lots of new equipment,” he explains. “It is great to see that we are growing fast and advancing technologically.”
A shared passion for excellence
This new role taps into Fabian’s passion for excellence. “Having my own business taught me that you can just do your job, or you can do your job well and want to do it better,” he says. “I feel responsible for the success of the business. Our industry is challenging and I need to step it up, not only for myself but also for Lamers.”
Happily, Fabian finds himself surrounded with like-minded colleagues. “When I was a watchmaker, I was always on my own,” he explains. “Now I get to work in a team filled with other people who are motivated to improve our work and ourselves.”
Fabian is eager to see how this next chapter unfolds. “One reason I chose this job is that I knew I would be able to grow,” he says. “I have a lot to learn, so my first goal is to become the best I can be at my current job. Not sure what will happen after that, but I am sure that I will keep getting chances to learn and develop myself!”
