Melvin Bloemberg – Operator
“I’m learning so much here, I’m having a great time!”
Although Melvin is not following in his father’s footsteps, he did heed his advice to find a job as a process operator. But it was through his twin brother that Melvin found work at Koole.
Active on the job
Melvin will have been employed at Koole for four years in fall 2022. He is currently a member of the tank conversions project support team at Koole Tankstorage Minerals. “For a new customer, we’re preparing tanks that used to contain fuel oil for bioproducts. So, that also means all the piping work, which is what I’m mostly working on. It’s an intensive and precise process because, among other things, our tanks and piping have to be in perfect shape by November.”
Through his twin brother, who has worked at Koole Tankstorage Pernis for eight years, Melvin ended up at Koole. “But the initial impetus came from my father, who is a security expert. He gave me the idea to become a process operator. It appealed to me, so I took the Vapro-b course for operators and technicians in the process industry.”
But following in his father’s footsteps is not Melvin’s ambition. “I’m happier being active at work. Over the past few years, I’ve discovered that the administrative side of the job is not my favorite aspect of it.”
Koole is a dynamic company
Ideally, Melvin envisions a career on projects in the day shift. As he puts it, his ambition is to “do what’s needed to make sure everything stays operational.” “I like what I’m doing now. I see it as an exploratory internship, so that works out nicely because to work on projects requires experience above all. I love the variety and the ad hoc work. Troubleshooting, for example, such as securing pipe sections for replacement or repair. You also learn a lot from that.” He also sees social benefits: “You’re in touch with a lot of different people every day, such as contractors and the technical department. That’s cool.”
Melvin loves to learn and keep developing, as evidenced by the considerable steps he took to get a college education. The fact that he was unable to complete it is something he clearly still regrets. “The architecture course in Tilburg was tough and the travel distance too great, which left me too little time for the homework I needed to do to keep up.” Still, he does not rule out further study in the future. What exactly, he does not yet know.
Melvin has a clear opinion about his work at Koole: “I learn so much here. Just when you think you know every part of a terminal, you discover something new. Koole is a dynamic company, something is always changing somewhere and that suits me well – I’m having a great time here!”
