Janne Lintupuro (Carpenter, Wood Artisan) found his way into shipbuilding through his uncle’s engineering company, starting with installation works on board. Janne got shortly familiar with the shipbuilding network and various companies around it, completing refurbishment gigs for Tallink vessels, modular solutions at Helsinki shipyard, as well as conversion projects and gig works all around the world. “I like to start counting my shipbuilding career from 1997 when we worked on Enchantment of the Seas”, he says.
The first connection with NIT dates back to early 2000s, when he worked in a subcontractor team on the Romantika project in Rauma, where NIT was delivering the conference area. “Some years later an old colleague from that project asked if I wanted to join NIT. I remember it very well, as my second child was about to be born, and I felt it was time to put traveling days behind me.”
Janne started as a Foreman in NIT in 2006, with Color Magic as his first project. The areas under work were passenger staircases, and Janne was working closely with the Project Manager and team. “NIT was much smaller company back then. There was only a handful of Foremen. Nowadays the scene is totally different – vessels are bigger and there can be two huge projects with big teams within the same ship.”
During the Oasis of the Seas project in 2008, Janne stepped into the role of Site Manager. He describes the position as acting as right hand of the Project Manager, and being involved in the project right from the early stages. “We start with planning of the project, take part in the mock-up phase and have close collaboration with design, procurement and site through the whole project.” When the production starts, Site Manager supports Foremen and is proactively solving challenges. Janne finds this side of the job motivating: “The best part of my job is that even after all these years in shipbuilding, the work always remains interesting. Every new ship, area or technical solution brings in new challenges, so it never gets to bore me.”
In the whole shipbuilding network, Janne sees the collaboration as essential. “I have a personal principle to always try to help, whether it is subcontractor, neighbour area team or even competitor. Sooner or later that help tends to come back.” Janne says the core of successful projects is good relations between all parties and the common trust. “After all, we’re building the ship all together.”
Janne tells about projects that stay in mind: “Usually all prototype vessels ar the most challenging projects, like Mein Schiff 3, Costa Smeralda an so on.” One of Janne’s most memorable projects was Viking Grace in 2013 – built on a tight schedule and totally new type of areas for NIT. “We were building the Vogue nightclub for the vessel and it was full of show tech equipment. In this project we worked very closely with Viking Line’s team and succeeded together in many impressive things, like the video wall for the back stage.”
At the moment NIT is building Icon series in Turku, where the huge Promenade area is again something new and exciting. “It has been very interesting being part of this project from the very start. The area is challenging but through close cooperation between all parties, we delivered the prototype vessel exceptionally well.” He adds that this strong foundation also enables improving the processes for the upcoming vessels of the series.
Looking further, Janne sees the situation of NIT and shipbuilding in general promising. He thinks the industry is attracting more young people to the projects to learn through hands-on project work. “We have many young talents in our team, learning and growing through the projects. They are important in the cycle, taking over more responsibility when some of the older ones are stepping aside. “
