From Apeldoorn to Aruba

What is it like to work as a mechanic at Bredenoord? We asked Kevin Navarro, who is active as a Rental Mechanic. Kevin started his career as a car mechanic, but made the switch to generators and power solutions. He now works at a variety of locations, from Apeldoorn to Aruba, and enthusiastically tells us about the variety, technical challenges and options for continued development.

‘I was working as a car mechanic before I came to Bredenoord. A friend of mine suggested checking out Bredenoord and I decided to make the switch. I was used to working with engines, so that was a good starting point. In addition, it helped that I had experience working with electric cars. The work at Bredenoord is built up gradually; employees move one step at a time. I started out doing maintenance and minor repairs to get to know the machines. Once I knew how the systems work here, I moved on to the test lane where all the machines go after they have been at customer sites. We carry out maintenance, clean the units, make any minor repairs if needed and test them to ensure they are in good condition and smoke-free before they go to the next customer.

The next step involves diagnosing customer generators. Our service technicians bring these units to our test facility and describe the issue; we then determine the cause and carry out repairs if necessary. The set-up is really well designed. We have practical workstations both indoors and outdoors, all equipped with proper exhaust systems. Load banks have recently been installed on the roof, which has solved the issue of cables lying on the ground. Working as safely and sustainably as possible is very important here’.

No two days are the same, and I enjoy working at different work areas.

Plenty of variety and great workspaces

‘No two days are the same, and I enjoy working at different work areas. I might be working in maintenance on one day, and at the test facility on another. Sometimes I do maintenance work on the containers or special units. If extra hands are needed for a large project, I’m happy to help out there as well.

Before long, I was given some great challenges within the company. I’ve worked for Bredenoord at the European Football Championship in Germany, at Circuit Zandvoort, and I’ve been to Aruba three times. A Bredenoord employee is always present on Aruba, where we carry out maintenance for 26 generators with a total capacity of 20 MW. These machines support the island’s own power network, which cannot always meet the demand. Our power station is connected to the island’s power plant and provides support whenever additional power is required. At the start of this year, we didn’t need to assist for three months, but we were required to provide varying levels of power for several days in one week in May. Last November, we had to provide backup power for an average of four hours a day, so it’s crucial that these machines are always on standby.

If something goes wrong, we need to act immediately — which isn’t always easy given the location. In Apeldoorn, everything is readily available in the warehouse, which is not the case on Aruba. Whenever an issue arises, we have to think outside the box, because waiting for spare parts simply isn’t an option. I love that challenge in my work, which is also why I like being involved in projects like these’.

I think this is really the best employer I’ve had so far!

Always learning

‘Here in Apeldoorn I’m also given plenty of opportunities to keep learning. Currently we are mainly focused on Stage V training, but we also have our own BLS — the Bredenoord Learning System — which provides a wide range of training courses to follow whenever it suits. In addition, colleagues are always happy to explain things. The company strongly encourages continuous learning and regular collaborations between departments so employees become more broadly deployable. This way, they can support each other whenever things become busier in a certain area.

Bredenoord employees are given every opportunity for development and career opportunities. You can see that in the average employment timespan, which is thirteen years. Many people have been with the company for a long time and have had various jobs. The working atmosphere is wonderful: friendly, down-to-earth and very pleasant. When you’re ready for something new, you don’t have to look elsewhere — there are plenty of opportunities to continue developing within Bredenoord. I think this is really the best employer I’ve had so far!’