Politician put to work

Despite his Stavanger origins, the Labour politician has a personal affiliation with Haugesund and Aibel. Both of his parents are from the town, and the yard was part of the cityscape on family visits during childhood.

“This is the third year in a row I have taken a summer job out of the office. This year I wanted to visit one of the key suppliers to the oil and gas industry. That made Aibel an obvious choice for me. Now I finally got to see what goes on behind the gates,” Tvedt Solberg says.

During the course of the week Solberg got to know the company in both theoretical and practical terms. In addition to a thorough introduction to the company's history, there was also time to meet the trade unions, take a closer look at HSE efforts and experience the Johan Sverdrup project close up, before the week was concluded with practical work in the pipe and structure departments.

“In the course of a week you get around the whole place. It also allows for plenty of time to talk to people. I'm impressed by the expertise and pride every individual employee displays. It makes me confident that there is a future for Norwegian industry,” he says.

One aspect that contributes to affirm Solberg's belief is the use of technology in combination with professional expertise.

“Most people probably still think of yard work as an old and dirty industry. However, the extent of high-tech solutions surprised me. It makes Aibel competitive with foreign companies in terms of efficiency, delivery on time and with the right quality,” says Tvedt Solberg, who also emphasizes the HSE culture as a positive experience:

“There is no doubt that safety is a major factor in everyday operations at Aibel. It's not just a focus area on individual projects, but rather something that permeates the entire organisation at both Aibel's own locations and at subcontractors. I have the impression that Aibel does a thorough job and collaborates closely with partners.”

The parliamentary politician takes home a good understanding of the company and the challenges Aibel and the rest of the industry are facing.

“To a certain extent, the week has changed my views and provided a new perspective on the industry. Not least, I can see that the industry has taken a lot of measures to remain competitive. It is therefore important that several of the future major platform contracts also end up with Norwegian suppliers,” Tvedt Solberg says.

He also takes home actual proof of his practical work.

“It was great to try a bit of welding and grinding. I even got to keep a small part of my own design. Even though my ‘colleagues’ in the hall praised my work, and I do believe they actually were impressed by my efforts, I don't think I have a career as a sheet metal worker,” Tvedt Solberg concludes.