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From a Gap Year to a Career

Mari Laitonen began her studies as an electronics assembler at a vocational school and joined DA-Group as a summer employee in 2009. A year later, she was offered a role in assembly tasks in the space sector’s cleanroom. Today, Laitonen is Team Leader working as a production engineer.

“Originally, I planned to take a gap year and try working life, but a great workplace and amazing colleagues made that year stretch on. I’ve enjoyed working at DA ever since,” Mari says.

Projects in the space sector have brought a unique dimension to her work.

“It’s pretty amazing to watch a rocket launch and know that you’ve personally been involved in building something that ends up in the sky.”

Over the years, the work has strengthened her ability to cope with pressure and think critically.

“When I started as a young girl, a mistake felt like the end of the world. Nowadays you know that there’s a solution to everything. Mistakes happen, but you get through them.”

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Relocation and the Road of Development

Over the past fifteen years, DA-Group’s operations have grown and evolved significantly.

“We’ve developed enormously on a professional level. When I compare the early days in Jokioinen to today in Kassimäki, the difference is huge. Nowadays the operation really is on a big-world level,” Laitonen sums up with a smile.

The move from Jokioinen to Kassimäki has remained particularly vivid in her memory.

“A bus arrived in the yard and we were simply told to get on board. No one knew where we were going—we were guessing the destination on the bus. Once we arrived, champagne glasses in hand, we learned that DA was moving into Sanoma’s former premises. For a small person like me back then, it felt like: wow, what a massive place! I’ll never find my way out of here. Hold my hand so I don’t get lost,” she laughs.

“Today, we’re firmly on a path of development, with big plans ahead,” Laitonen says.

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Team, Development, and the Future

These days, Laitonen’s most meaningful personal successes come from development work, which is now part of her role.

“The sense of success comes from making a process smoother and more pleasant—and noticing that people are grateful for it.”

Alongside her work, Laitonen is studying to become an engineer in information and communications technology.

“I’ve now seen production from the inside for 15 years, and after graduating it would be nice to try something different—perhaps even outside production. Programming is a major interest for me, and there are opportunities for that within the company as well.”

One of DA’s best qualities, in Laitonen’s view, is flexibility, especially when it comes to working hours. What also makes everyday work enjoyable is the great team spirit and the small moments of laughter along the way.

The past 15 years of Laitonen’s career have been full of events. One story that still comes up—especially in honor of the anniversary—is a classic tale about her mistake at a Christmas party trip to Estonia.

“We were heading back to the hotel, and I was the group’s navigator. Navigating has never been one of my life’s greatest strengths. The others had already spotted the hotel while I was still searching for it, but they amused themselves by watching me wander around the Estonian night for an hour. If I had just lifted my eyes from the map, I would have seen the hotel just dozens of meters away. I’ve heard about that many times since,” Laitonen laughs.

Laitonen is a proud member of the DA family and values the journey they have shared.

“We’ve had difficult times, but we’ve never given up—and this is the result. We’ve made it through challenges and grown. That deserves a big tip of the hat,” Laitonen concludes.