Anita Koski has worked at Prevex for 50 years

Prevex’s CEO Marko Nylund, Anita Koski, and COO Mikael Gäddnäs.

In 1974, Anita Koski from Nykarleby was 17 years old and needed a job. Her brother worked at Prevex, a major employer in the town, and suggested that Anita should apply there too. So Anita went and spoke with the CEO, and she was offered a job starting the very next day.

“I was actually too young for three-shift work, but the CEO said it would be fine since I would soon turn 18 anyway.”

Since then, Anita has been commuting, or rather cycling, to the same workplace for 50 years. Her duties have varied over the years, but she has always enjoyed her work and never considered leaving.

“The only department I haven’t worked in is the office. I don’t know a lot about computers,” says Anita, although she has taken a computer course for seniors and learned to pay her bills online.

“I have always enjoyed my work, and the team spirit with my colleagues has been excellent. The work community has been like a family to me.”

Anita could have retired five years ago at 63, but she decided to continue working. When she turned 68 in the autumn, she considered retiring again but chose to stay a bit longer.

“In the sum­mer, I ha­ve so much to do in my gar­den that I can easi­ly pass the ti­me with­out work. But a quiet win­ter as a re­tiree didn’t feel appea­ling, so now my plan is to re­ti­re in Ap­ril 2025. By then, I will ha­ve wor­ked at Pre­vex for 51 years.”

Al­though mo­ney has ne­ver been im­por­tant to her, conti­nuing to work has al­so been fi­nan­cially bene­fi­cial for Ani­ta, as her pen­sion will now be se­ve­ral hund­red eu­ros high­er than if she had re­ti­red at 63.

So, what has kept Anita at Prevex for so long?

“I have always enjoyed my work, and the team spirit with my colleagues has been excellent. I don’t have a family, so the work community has been like a family to me. I also believe that working has kept me in better shape. If I had been retired, I would have just sat in my armchair. I don’t like exercising or going for walks, but I do enjoy cycling,” says Anita, who cycles to work year-round. She lives in Nykarleby, just a kilometer from the factory.

Anita is grateful that she has maintained her health, though it might partly be due to her work. In recent years, she has worked in assembly, and while she could work sitting down, she prefers to stand in a posture that ergonomics experts have praised. She has never experienced shoulder or neck problems.

I believe that working has kept me in better shape.

According to Anita, she has never taken time off work for minor issues. The longest breaks have been during a few layoffs and after undergoing major surgery in the 1980s. After that surgery, the doctor advised her not to do night shifts anymore. In recent years, she has worked from two in the afternoon to ten in the evening, as it suits her best.

“I don’t usually listen to the radio while working; I let my thoughts wander. Sometimes I sing to myself. For many years, I monitored machines at night while doing handicrafts at the same time. Handicrafts remain my favorite hobby alongside gardening, so retirement will bring plenty of cross-stitching and knitting.”

50 years is a long time, and much has changed during that period. In addition to increased automation and machinery, one significant change is that people from many different countries now work in production at Prevex, bringing a variety of languages beyond Swedish into the workplace. Another change is that technology has made it possible for everyone to be in their own bubble with headphones on, which Anita finds a bit unfortunate.

“In the past, coworkers had more social interaction. Now people sit during coffee breaks scrolling through their phones.”