Mario came to the Netherlands from Angola at the age of 14 and lived in the southern part of the country for many years. At 22, he ended up in Leeuwarden, where he attended Friesland College for a program in “construction/metalworking” and subsequently completed an advanced course in “Basic Machining” at Friese Poort. Today, both schools have merged into Firda.

After his graduation, Mario held various jobs, all related to the metal industry. When his last employer laid off several people due to a decline in work, Mario was out of work for a while. Through his network in Leeuwarden, which he had built over time, he found a position at Meijer in 2012. After an intake interview, Mario started working at Meijer as a machinist, where he used various CNC machines to create turning and milling parts for the products sold by Meijer Handling Solutions.

Around 2019, Mario got the opportunity to undergo internal training to become a deep drilling machine operator. On a deep drilling machine, the oil and cylinder channels for the reach forks are drilled, which requires a specific expertise because the material of the forks can vary, and the operator must be able to handle this. The operator has a responsible task since the machines are very costly, and an operational error can have significant consequences.
During his career at Meijer, Mario was part of the Works Council, where he focused primarily on promoting diversity in the workplace.

Last year, Mario decided to move to Antwerp for a new challenge, but Het Bildt always remained in his thoughts. This prompted him to return to Leeuwarden. After a phone call with Meijer, Mario was able to return to his old employer and position. This demonstrates Meijer’s recognition of the lasting value of good employees, as highlighted by Mario’s return.