Kai Vesala

Product Development Engineer

Product Development Engineer Kai Vesala has been with the Rani family for 27 years and knows the company’s products inside out. Although a trained chef, Kai began his career in film production in 1994. He later moved up to the roles of Materials Manager, Shift Supervisor, and Operations Manager. While advancing his career, he earned a technical degree from Rastor’s adult education programme (TEAT) in Jakobstad in 2008 and completed a JET course with Kpedu in Kokkola in 2012. Kai was appointed Product Development Engineer at the start of 2022.

“Product development has always been one of my passions and I was ready to take the next step. I’ve taken exams, completed various courses, and developed my skill set over the years,” explains Kai.

“Product development has always been one of my passions.”

A wealth of product knowledge

The transition from working in film production to development was smooth. In Kai’s opinion, this was thanks to the knowledge he acquired in production. Kai is now responsible for a wide range of product groups, like RaniStretchHood, RaniInsulation, RaniMultiPack, hoods, sacks, bags, sheets, RaniSheet, RaniTop, RaniFilm, and a selection of RaniLam products.

“It’s all very interesting. New projects are launching all the time and no two days are alike. The days just fly by,” laughs Kai.

The challenge of problem-solving

Kai went on his first client visit since moving up to his new role in March. The meeting provided the perfect opportunity to talk to the customer about the company’s innovative StretchHood technology. He has plans to visitcustomers in Finland and Norway and has several other appointments in the pipeline for the near future.

“Visiting clients is nice and educational. It’s interesting to learn about the challenges customers face and how clients’ packaging needs are quite distinct from each other.”

“Visiting clients is nice and educational. It’s interesting to learn about the challenges customers face.”

Kai gained a reputation as a great problem-solver during his time in production. He is also known to keep a cool head at all times.

“I’m not familiar with the concept of stress. I thrive on the challenge of problem-solving and get great satisfaction from resolving a difficulty and seeing positive results.”

Family-like culture with opportunities for development

Kai Vesala appreciates Rani Plast’s family-like culture and the fact that the company is not a faceless corporation. Other things he likes about working for Rani Plast include the variety in his workday and developmental opportunities.

“The best thing about Rani is probably its community spirit. I can always turn to my colleagues for help and advice on how to move forward. That kind of work environment is inspiring.”

Different hobbies

The saying that variety is the spice of life applies as much to Kai’s free time as it does to his workdays. His hobbies include ice hockey, fishing, playing frisbee golf with his colleagues, and cooking with his wife. When it’s Kai’s turn to cook, you can expect him to make something spicy.