Experiences around the globe
Last March, Moba Asia celebrated its 20th anniversary during the VIV Asia exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand. For two decades, the team in Malaysia have been serving, helping and advising our customers in the Asian Pacific region.
One of the original team members is Parthiban Janarthanan, who began working for Moba as a Service Engineer in January 1997. Now, Parthiban still works for the Service team but as a Service Manager Moba Asia. This short interview was held at the Moba booth during the 20th anniversary of Moba Asia.
Tell me, how did you begin working for Moba? “I worked for a company who developed food processing systems and through a head hunter Moba approached me.”
How was your start at Moba? “In one word, adventurous” Parthiban said. “After my first day, I was told to pack my suitcase for a three-week training course at headquarters in Barneveld. I didn’t know what to expect, I was excited but at the same time a little bit nervous.” “I was a young man”, he continued “with no knowledge of the Moba products or the egg industry at all, and on top of that, it was my first visit to a country in Europe.”
“Yes, I did, but that’s one thing I like about Moba. We all missed our families, but we had each other and as colleagues we formed a family. And that is a feeling I will never lose. At Moba, we feel that family bond. We are one big Moba family!”
When asked how he experienced his training, he laughed. “When I saw the huge machines, my first thought was, what am I doing here. I wasn’t sure this was the right job for me. My background is in electronics but for small products and not those giants of machines!" “I must admit”, he continued “I was a bit taken aback. One big challenge was to learn about the machines inside and out. But the Moba service engineers like Pieter Kuiper and Edwin Jansen took me under their wing, gave me confidence and taught me so much that all doubts vanished from my mind.”
What other kinds of challenges did you come across? “Nowadays, we all have modern technology within our reach, but when I started to work at Moba that was different. Imagine driving in the outback in Australia with no GPS or smartphone, but with a simple roadmap and no human being in sight for hours on end. That was crazy! But these challenges opened a window of resourcefulness. It made me humble and I learned to be patient. And sometimes that’s just what you need when trying to find a solution.”
Did you go to small or big projects? “Both”, Parthiban said, “when it was a big project we would stay at the project for weeks.”
That could be lonely when you are away from your family for weeks? You must have missed them? “Yes, I did, but that’s one thing I like about Moba. We all missed our families, but we had each other and as colleagues we formed a family. And that is a feeling I will never lose. At Moba, we feel that family bond. We are one big Moba family!”
You have 20 years of knowledge and know-how about Moba and the industry. How do you see the future? “I see a bright future for Moba, where through teamwork we will expand and grow our installed base.” “Where”, he continued, “ideas will become innovating high-tech solutions that will benefit our customers and we will continue to provide our customers with the best solutions to enhance their businesses. As a service man, my focus is always on the customer.”