Hitting 20 Years of Skilled Work: Meet Our Welding Wizard
Māris Jankovskis joined Pipelife Latvia in 2003 when he was just 24 years old. Having started with simple warehouse tasks, he was always eager to acquire new skills and techniques and now is seen as one of the best welders within the group. As the construction season in Latvia is in full swing, Māris’ welding expertise is constantly in high demand. Nevertheless, he agreed to devote a few minutes to talk about his job, how it has changed over the years, and what he loves about Pipelife.
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Why Manual Work Is Still Irreplaceable in the Piping Industry
“When it comes to non-standard requests — and we have plenty of those — if there is a possible solution, Māris will find it. And his work will always be of impeccable quality,” colleagues from Pipelife Latvia are not short of praise when asked about their Senior Welding Technician.
The warehouse is Māris’ world where welding magic happens — pipe connections are securely attached to wells and gullies at the needed size and angle, matching the unique requirements of each client and project.
Twenty years ago, almost all this work had to be done manually, using an extruder. While nowadays, modern machines have made welding considerably faster and simpler — 20 to 50 gullies and wells can be welded within a day — manual work is still irreplaceable, especially when it comes to welding more complex objects as well as examining the quality of machine-welded joints.
“You can’t clean shavings thoroughly with a machine; you can’t attach base plates or make custom flow profiles. Therefore, we still use extrusion welders a lot. If a machine-welded joint seems to have a crevice, we always fix it with an extrusion welder as well,” explains Māris.
Not only is Māris open to modernization and optimization in his profession, but he has also catalyzed it. Already in his early career, he helped select the welding machines that were brought to Latvia from the Netherlands and was among the first specialists in Eastern Europe that learned to use them to their full potential.
Over the years, Pipelife has become the go-to supplier in Latvia when it comes to custom welding requests, and Māris’ expertise has helped cement this reputation.
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Childhood Dream Come True
In his school years, Māris wanted to become a carpenter and even attended special classes. However, his mechanical skills, precision and attention to detail proved to be highly valuable in welding, too.
“Already as a kid, I loved carpentry, working with wood. I planned to study at a local carpentry school, but it was closed and so I joined Pipelife instead! And it turned out well; I discovered that, actually, the welder’s work is as meticulous as the work of a carpenter,” Māris admits.
Currently, he is leading a team of three welders, creating dozens of one-of-a-kind wells and gullies every day. Valued as one of the most experienced and capable welders within the Pipelife group, Māris also has traveled to other countries to train his colleagues and has held international workshops for professionals.
“I started in the warehouse making telescopic pipes. Afterward, I began welding wells — at that time, we did not have as many custom orders as today. It went well, and gradually, I was trusted with more and more complex tasks. I was 24 when I started; now I am 43!” Māris proudly says.
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Nearly 20 Years of Welding: Never a Dull Moment
While some people cannot imagine spending two decades in one company, Māris sees it differently. When asked about his impressive work experience, he emphasizes that he has never even thought of looking for another job.
“I never feel bored here because there is always something new. Each project is unique and challenging, and I really like that,” Māris sums up and smiles, “I cannot think of any aspect of my job that I would not enjoy!”
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