Meet the talented craftspeople

When Siiri Nenonen, 23, started working as an assembler at a lamp shade factory a few years ago, she initially struggled with handling the delicate birchwood slats, dropping them frequently during her first days. With experience, the process became natural.

"Assembling a shade requires dexterity and a visual eye to ensure each nail is at the right angle and slats are evenly spaced," Siiri explains from her workstation in the bright assembly hall.

Before assembling, she inspects, cleans, and sands each slat individually, ensuring only high-quality materials are used. "I enjoy the satisfaction of sanding rough slats smooth," she says. "There's real pride in finishing a shade and seeing how fine it looks."

The factory produces approximately 30 lamp models, each requiring unique skills from assemblers. With meticulous attention to detail, quality remains consistently high with minimal waste.

Tuula Järvinen, 65, shares similar passion for the work. "I fell in love with assembling these shades immediately," she says. "I really do not want to retire from this job."

Behind the scenes, precision craftspeople support the assembly process. Jouko Vinkka, 58, manages the sanding machine with exceptional accuracy, adjusting it to within one hundredth of a millimetre. "Manufacturing lamps is a clean and precise job," he explains. "I take pleasure in making sure that everything is just right."

The factory also uses an environmentally friendly water jet cutter to manufacture the essential rings that hold the lamps together. Otto Ruuttula, 30, operates this equipment while also assembling shades and servicing machinery.

Quality is central to the operation. "It is important to constantly monitor the material and notice any variations," notes Jouko. "Everyone here takes pride in their work."