Ion Brumariu
When Ion Brumariu joined Vetropack Chișinău six years ago, his job was unloading quartz sand- filled railcars. He was only 19 years old and had recently graduated from medical college with a qualification in veterinary medicine. At the time, he could hardly have imagined that glass manufacturing would become his career. Today, Ion leads a team at the hot end and is responsible for overseeing key production processes.
Glass production, however, had been part of his family life long before he began his own career. His mother had worked in Quality almost since the plant first opened, while his father dedicated 39 years of his professional life to the glass industry. Ion himself had never planned to follow the family tradition, but during the pandemic, circumstances brought him to the plant. Two months later, an opportunity arose to move from unloading waggons to a position as an Assistant Hot End Operator.
“Even though both of my parents worked here, I knew almost nothing about glass production. My father gave me advice, but he was stricter with me than with the other members of the team. Now we can joke that he passed his profession on to me, but I still had to find my own way,” Ion says.
The first few years at work were a period of intensive learning. Ion learnt by observing experienced colleagues, asking questions and gradually developing a deep understanding of the production process. The support of those who took the time to explain, mentor and share their expertise, played a particularly important role in his development.
Around a year and a half later, Ion became a Hot End Operator. He admits that at the time he did not feel fully prepared for the new level of responsibility. His new role required him to quickly master complex equipment, make decisions under pressure and learn something new every day. Over time, what had initially seemed challenging became a natural part of his daily work.
Over the years, it was not only Ion’s role that changed. He says the way people work together across production has evolved as well. “Today, when a problem arises, what matters is not finding someone to blame or shifting a responsibility to another department. What matters is understanding the cause and finding a solution together. We discuss, analyse and listen to one another. In glass production, no one can know everything, which is why every person in the team matters,” says Ion.
His promotion to Hot End Supervisor marked the next significant milestone in his career. “I never thought I would reach this position. I was afraid, but with the support of Roman Yatsuk and Lilian Anghel, I decided to take the opportunity,” he adds. Today, his responsibilities extend far beyond his own tasks. He oversees production processes, supports operational performance and leads his team, ensuring that quality, efficiency and safety standards are consistently met.
Yet, he does not define professional growth solely in terms of job titles. For him, continuing to broaden his knowledge is equally important. He recently applied to university for a programme related to food safety and hopes to pursue further education in engineering in the future. His curiosity also takes him beyond his immediate production responsibilities. A few years ago, Ion studied IT and programming. Although he didn’t complete the course, he put what he had learnt to practical use by developing a small tool that allows certain production calculations to be performed quicker, directly from a mobile phone. When asked about his approach to work and life, Ion keeps it simple: “I have always wanted to learn something new. If I see that a process can be simplified or made faster, I want to explore how. I have a simple principle: if I don’t know it, I’ll learn it.”
That principle captures his professional journey well. Every new stage has pushed him to learn, find solutions and expand his skills – and he plans to continue doing the same in the future.