A Year of Growth: Viktor Ekstrom’s Journey from Sweden to Tulmar

As Viktor Ekstrom prepares to complete his one year contract with Tulmar, I recently had the opportunity to sit down with him and reflect on his experience.

Viktor’s story began shortly after he completed high school in Sweden. At just 18 years old, he decided to leave his family and friends, move across the Atlantic, and spend a year working with us in Eastern Ontario.

That is a significant step for anyone, particularly someone beginning his first full year in the workforce.

Viktor knew that Tulmar was a Canadian company serving the aviation and defence industries. He was also familiar with our relationships with several Swedish companies, which made the opportunity especially interesting to him.

What he did not fully appreciate until he arrived was the range of products we manufacture, or the diversity of the people who make them.

“My first impression was how amazing the facility was and how many products Tulmar actually makes,” he told me. “But also, how multicultural it is, which made me fit right in.”

Over the course of the year, Viktor worked in several areas of our operation. He began with general production and maintenance related work before gaining experience with different manufacturing processes, including heat sealing and the fabrication of shelters, aviation training equipment and specialized net systems.

Like every new employee, he had to learn processes that can initially appear complicated. Our products frequently involve multiple materials, detailed work instructions and manufacturing steps that must be completed in the correct sequence.

“Some steps for certain products are hard to learn in the beginning,” Viktor said. “But once you understand them, it becomes easier.”

One moment that stood out for him was completing his first product independently.

“That was the moment when I felt that I had grown,” he said.

Earning Responsibility Early

Viktor was not with us long before he found himself in an unexpected situation.

During his first month at Tulmar, we welcomed a delegation that included a Swedish State Secretary of Defence. Viktor was asked to help explain how one of the products being manufactured for Sweden was made.

He had not expected to be part of the presentation.

“I was a little nervous,” he admitted, “but I think it went well.”

It certainly did go well.  Viktor ended up sitting with members of the Swedish delegation at lunch and responded to their various questions about living and working in Canada.  Viktor was the star attraction of the day.

That experience says something important about Viktor, but it also reflects how we try to operate at Tulmar. We want employees to be given meaningful responsibility. That does not mean putting people into situations without support. It means recognizing when someone is capable, giving them an opportunity and allowing them to build confidence through experience.

During his year with us, Viktor also travelled for work to Montreal, Ottawa and New Brunswick, where he had the opportunity to meet with important customers and see another side of the business.

He began to understand not only how products are manufactured, but how customer requirements are translated into engineering, production, inspection and delivery.

As Viktor put it, he was able to see “how a product goes from the start all the way to the finish, and how many steps there are.”

Understanding Why Quality Matters

Tulmar manufactures safety and survival equipment for people working in demanding environments. Our customers include military personnel, aviation professionals, first responders and others who may need to rely on our products in an emergency.

Quality, therefore, cannot simply be a department or an inspection at the end of the production process. It has to be part of how every employee approaches every task.

This was one of the most important lessons Viktor took from his year at Tulmar.

“I learned that quality is crucial for the products we make,” he said. “People’s lives actually depend on us doing a good job.”

He also learned that “paying attention to the finest details is crucial.”

That understanding is fundamental to our culture.

Every seam, measurement, material, component and inspection matters. A product can look correct and still fail to meet its requirements. This is why we emphasize following the process, asking questions, identifying problems and refusing to pass an issue to the next person.

Viktor came to understand that commitment firsthand, not as a slogan, but through the discipline required to manufacture life protection equipment properly.

Becoming Part of the Team

When I asked Viktor what he enjoyed most about working at Tulmar, he did not start with a particular product or project.

He spoke about the people.

“I think it was how close everyone is,” he said. “It’s almost like a family. I’ve gotten close to many colleagues.”

Tulmar’s workforce includes people from many countries, cultures and backgrounds. Viktor described working alongside colleagues with roots in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America.

Learning to work in that environment was an important part of his experience.

People may approach a problem differently because of their education, previous work or cultural background. Strong teamwork requires listening, communicating clearly and helping one another understand those different perspectives.

As Viktor said, “We helped each other to understand.”

He also learned that teamwork means contributing to a shared objective, helping colleagues when required and working together to complete quality products on schedule.

By the end of his contract, Viktor felt that some of the relationships he had developed would continue well beyond his time at Tulmar.

“I have friends for life,” he told me.

Growing Beyond the Workplace

Viktor’s year in Canada was about much more than work.

It was his first time living away from his family. He had to learn how to manage his own schedule, prepare meals, do laundry and handle all the other responsibilities that come with living independently.

He admits that the adjustment was difficult at first.

“Pretty much everything was hard,” he said. “Your mom isn’t going to be there all the time.”

His cooking has apparently improved, and he noted that chicken and rice became his specialty.

Viktor found Canada beautiful and, in many ways, quite similar to Sweden. The Canadian winter, however, still managed to surprise him.

“Everyone knows Canadian winters can be quite harsh, but I was surprised by how cold they actually were,” he said. He then added, “And I come from a cold country as well.”

Coming from someone raised in Sweden, that is a fairly strong assessment of a Canadian winter.

He also took French lessons offered at Tulmar, improved both his English and French, played golf, skied, biked, went to the gym and attended an NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Unfortunately for Viktor, a Leafs fan, Montreal won.

More importantly, the experience in Canada has changed his confidence.

“Before I came, I was a little shy,” he said. “Today I’m more talkative and more open. My confidence has skyrocketed.”

That may be the clearest measure of what this year has meant.

Viktor arrived as a recent high school graduate taking a major step into the unknown. He leaves having worked in a regulated manufacturing environment, contributed to products used by demanding customers, travelled on behalf of the company and learned to live independently in another country.

What Comes Next

Viktor’s next step will take him to France, where he plans to continue studying French. He then expects to return to Sweden and pursue studies in business development.

His time at Tulmar has helped shape that interest. He has seen the connection between customers, product development, manufacturing and the people responsible for delivering the final result.

When I asked what advice he would give another young person considering a similar opportunity, his answer was direct:

“Go for it. It’s a life changing experience, and you will grow as a person.”

As Viktor finishes his year with us, I am proud of what he has accomplished. He accepted new responsibilities, learned unfamiliar processes, became a valued member of our team and gained an appreciation for the level of quality required when people’s safety depends on the work we do.

We also benefited from having him here.

Viktor brought energy, curiosity, humour and a willingness to learn. He became part of the Tulmar team, and we will be sorry to see him leave.

His final reflection may say it best:

“I’m very thankful for this experience. I don’t regret a single day.”