Technical Director Jani Välkky has witnessed Galvatek’s growth from great individuals into great teams

Today John Cockerill Galvatek is a advanced chemical surface treatment solutions provider that succeeds through teamwork, shared knowledge, and global collaboration. Twenty years ago, the surface treatment line manufacturer relied far more on exceptional individuals than on collective capability.

Few people have had a front-row seat to witness the mindset shift taking place throughout the years. One of them is Jani Välkky, the newly appointed Technical Director who began his career in Galvatek in the early 2000’s.

Today, Välkky leads a global team spanning Finland, France, Poland and China. His areas of responsibility include design, automation, R&D and product management. Altogether, his team comprises of more than 50 people. Välkky reflects on his time with the company and what has changed throughout the years.

A different background offered new perspectives in chemical surface treatment business

LAB University of Applied Sciences, bearing the name LAMK back then, is partially to thank for jumpstarting Välkky’s career in Galvatek. A group of students was commissioned for a project which involved doing 3D visualizations of the surface treatment solution machinery – something entirely new in the early 2000’s.

Välkky, who, according to his own accounts, was “probably not the best 3D artist but the best public speaker among the project team” was hired to further the project and develop the product offering at the company. This unconventional start set the tone for how Välkky approached his role – questioning, reframing and suggesting new ways of doing things.

A visual arts background is not the most traditional in the chemical surface treatment industry, but according to Välkky, he has been able to offer a different perspective to how things are done. Thinking of things from the customers’ perspective is one thing he has highlighted.

“Before, our products were designed from an engineer’s perspective – they could be hard to install or manufacture, and not very user-friendly or presentable looking. I have encouraged a shift toward thinking about what the customer or end user might need. And fortunately, nowadays, I’m not the only one,” Välkky says.

Galvatek gave space for exploration and individual initiative

When Välkky joined Galvatek, his colleagues met him with curiosity: his potential was recognized, and he was given space and trust to try out new things.

“I am the kind of person to take initiative and try and fix things, if I see something that could be done better,” Välkky says.
Over the years, Galvatek has gradually adopted many new technologies and ways of working. During his time in the company Välkky has had the opportunity to dabble in many things, including product design (adding the signature blue Galvatek hue to the transporter hoods) and marketing (including Google advertising which was brand new at the time).

“I introduced the first document management system to our company. Some people were hesitant to stop printing out and filing documents physically. Just recently, we moved to a new documentation system and again, people resisted the change at the beginning,” he remarks and notes, smiling:

“Remembering the complaints about it some years back, I found it funny how people now seemed to think that the old platform was the best thing ever.”

JC Galvatek seeks to become a global leader in surface treatment solutions

When Galvatek became a part of John Cockerill in 2019, big shifts were ahead. Galvatek now has clearer and more ambitious growth goals – among them, a vision to become the world leader in surface treatment technologies – and the support of the mother company to do this.

The biggest culture shift has happened with the company’s growth. More people have been hired, and some older employees have retired. As the surrounding world changes, it is less common to work with the same company for tens of years.
“Before, the company heavily relied on the tacit knowledge of some key individuals who had loads of experience. They were valuable to the company, but it was very demanding for them. And naturally, it is very risky if a business is dependent on a handful of people,” Välkky tells

Nowadays, people are encouraged to share knowledge, brief others, and work as a team. This change, according to Välkky, has made the company less dependent on individuals and supported the overall growth of people in the company. According to Välkky, people and their wellbeing are taken good care of at Galvatek.

Finally, how does Välkky see Galvatek’s future?

“Galvatek is on its way to becoming a global leader in chemical surface treatment. Instead of taking things on one project at a time, we’re striving to be a well-known, best-in-class brand. And I believe that by combining all our individual expertise and working together, we are truly capable of doing that,” he concludes.