Picture a man. He steps off a plane somewhere in the world after an 11-hour flight. He gathers his belongings, stretches his limbs, and bids farewell to the crew—who know him by name. He leaves the aircraft with an air of ease, hops into a taxi without hesitation, travels to his destination, and gets straight to work.
Is he a president? A movie star? No. He is Harri Aikio, a service engineer at T-DRILL.
Harri Aikio has worked as a service engineer for T-DRILL for nearly 22 years. In total, he has about 27 years of experience in a job that involves extensive travel. As a T-DRILL service engineer, Aikio’s workdays consist of follow-ups, installations, commissioning, and training sessions at customer sites—anywhere in the world. When asked how many countries he has visited, his answer is simple:
“I haven’t been to the South Pole or the North Pole. Let’s put it that way.”
Travel-based work requires the ability to handle pressure and relax
In 2023, Aikio spent about 190 days abroad—a personal record. Typically, the figure is around 150 days. Aikio believes that to succeed in a job that takes him overseas for nearly half the year, it is important to be able to handle pressure while also knowing how to relax. A job involving so much travel places significant demands on both the individual and the loved ones waiting at home. “I’ve been lucky to have people around me who understand the nature of my work. People often ask me how I manage to travel so much. The truth is, I’ve grown into this lifestyle. I’ve been doing this ever since I graduated. When you’ve carried a backpack for long enough, it becomes a part of who you are.”
When abroad, Aikio enjoys immersing himself in the local culture by exploring the region’s religion and way of life.
“For instance, when I visited Tangier in Morocco, I was given an authentic Quran, and I’ve started reading it. It allows me to delve deeper into the culture. That’s what makes traveling interesting.”
Over 20 Years at T-DRILL
With 27 years of experience, Aikio approaches customer visits with a calm and confident demeanor. His goal is to carry out his work meticulously and precisely. Aikio maintains his composure even when facing tight schedules.
“I enjoy working with people. I don’t think I’d be doing this job if I weren’t naturally talkative. I like chatting with the customer while I work—it reassures them that progress is being made and that I’m doing my best to get the machine back into production as quickly as possible.”
Aikio takes a proactive approach to customer service. If he spots ways for a customer to get more out of their T-DRILL machine, achieve cost savings, or boost production efficiency, he shares his recommendations—but only when there are solid grounds for doing so.
For Aikio, one of the best parts of the job is the opportunity to work with his hands and see the results of his efforts. Challenges sometimes arise when he has to master the features of new machines on the fly, often under time pressure. However, Aikio’s extensive experience—combined with the fact that T-DRILL machines often share the same operating principles—helps him overcome these challenges quickly. “Navigating linguistic and cultural differences can sometimes require a learning process. When a common language is lacking, gestures and images come into play. During one of my first trips to India, I asked the machine operators at the end of a training session if they had understood everything. They shook their heads, so I went through the training again from the beginning. I later learned that in India, shaking one’s head actually means ‘yes’.”
Aikio has enjoyed working at T-DRILL for over 20 years, primarily for one reason: the work community and his colleagues. He appreciates T-DRILL’s atmosphere—relaxed yet professional—and genuinely likes the people he works with. As a medium-sized company, T-DRILL is an excellent fit for someone like Aikio who values knowing their colleagues personally.
“Ultimately, I really enjoy my job. It’s as simple as that.”