A Chance Encounter Led Anders (38) to Start at Mivanor
Q&A: How did Anders Are end up working for Mivanor?
The father from Madla has eight years of experience in the oil industry, having worked as a mechanical engineer, project engineer, head of the mechanical department, supervisor, and project manager. A chance encounter with Mivanor’s Managing Director, Robert Tarasz, in 2018 led Anders to take on his current role.
We asked Anders 10 questions to get to know him better:
How old are you?
– I’m 38 years old.
Where do you currently live, and where did you grow up?
– I currently live in Sunde. I grew up in Madla, which is just a stone's throw away.
Why did you want to work at Mivanor?
– When I was working on a site for my previous company in 2018, I met Robert, who was there to install a water treatment system for Mivanor. We worked closely together for two weeks—you learn a lot about someone when you’re out in the field.
– During that time, I became fascinated by Mivanor’s process and the way they handle water treatment. I’ve always been interested in chemistry, so it was exciting to see the water treatment process up close, he says, adding:
– We ended up talking on the plane ride home and discussed the possibility of me working with water treatment at Mivanor. Shortly after, I had an interview and decided to take a chance on a small company with big potential. I haven’t looked back since!
You’ve spent eight years in the oil industry. What skills or experiences from your previous roles do you bring to Mivanor?
– I have a strong background in mechanical work and project management. There’s a lot of product development, product optimization, and mechanical tasks involved. When you’re out with customers, it’s crucial to have full control over these aspects. My previous experience has been very beneficial, allowing me to operate independently based on my own knowledge and expertise.
Can you provide a brief description of your duties and role at Mivanor?
– Officially, I handle customer relations, which involves proactive sales, assisting customers who come to us for help with treatment solutions, clarifying their needs, and so on. This also includes lab work where I conduct small-scale tests on water samples sent by customers to define the type of treatment process they need. But since we’re a small company, I’m involved in pretty much everything. I’m also responsible for product development and testing.
He explains that important questions he deals with include whether the customer already has a treatment system in place, and if not, what treatment requirements they need to meet.
– My main focus is on the initial work for customer projects, he says, adding:
– In short, I’m involved from the first contact up to contract negotiations and signing. That’s usually where my customer journey ends, and I hand things over to Hanne and Arild, who continue working with the customer and the project. However, I often stay involved in the project as well.
Can you tell us about a project you’ve recently worked on?
– It’s been exciting to work with salmon slaughterhouses. We started this in October last year. We’ve had to acquire a lot of knowledge along the way, contacting dozens of salmon slaughterhouses from south to north, receiving many water samples, and visiting some of them to clarify needs and conduct tests.
You also have a background in selling solutions related to water. Do you have any sales tips that tend to work well?
– Honestly, I don’t like the term “salesperson.” I believe the most important thing is building trust. We’re not trying to push products that people don’t need. My job is more about being a contact point to help clients meet their treatment requirements, he says, adding:
– In my opinion, close follow-up is the most important aspect here. Many of our clients don’t have much experience or knowledge in water treatment, and Mivanor serves as a sparring partner in this process.
What do you like most about your job?
– Research and Development is my “pet project,” or R&D, to put it simply. It involves everything from planning to design and prototyping with my 3D printer, and then testing. I also get the chance to experiment with new treatment processes. When we have the opportunity to spend time on this, we truly enjoy ourselves.
How long have you worked at Mivanor?
– I’ve been here since October 2018.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
– I enjoy exercising and physical activity whenever I can fit it into my schedule. With young children, time is sometimes limited.
– I also spend a lot of time at the cabin. There, I get to go boating and do outdoor tasks like chopping and splitting wood or making repairs, he says, adding:
– I’m also a big fan of gaming. Lately, I’ve been into Sim Racing, RPGs, and Call of Duty Warzone—but only after work is done and the kids are in bed, he concludes with a laugh.
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