Hello Fredrik Pettersson, Mill Master, Norrköping

"I’m supposed to be the expert, but 'Mill Master' just sounds cooler."
How long have you worked at Lantmännen?
– For 22 years. I started as a summer worker when I was 18 years old.
How did you become a mill master?
– I was supposed to work as an operating engineer for Lantmännen Biorefineries' new gluten facility in Norrköping. During the project, I was also involved with the mill itself since they hadn’t yet found a mill master. Then my manager at the time asked me, “Isn’t this something you should apply for?” And that’s how it happened. I’ve been a mill master since 2022.
What education is required to become a mill master?
– First, there were six months of preparatory studies from home, covering subjects like plant engineering, pneumatic technology, grain technology, basic mechanical engineering, and similar topics. Then, I spent six months in Switzerland at a specialized vocational school.
How was the training?
– Of course, it was challenging to be away from my family for so long, but the program itself was also tough. Not everyone passed. We were there for 26 weeks and had 26 written exams. The last two days were oral exams, and they could ask about anything. But I met many skilled professionals in our industry, made lifelong friends, and gained access to a great network full of experience and willingness to help.
Was it different from Sweden?
– Yes, Swiss schools have strict rules, even for adults. If you were late, you had to bring croissants for the class and teacher. If your phone rang, you had to pay a fine of 60 kronor. There were systems for almost everything, even how the dishwasher should be loaded.
Sounds like a good idea—have you implemented anything like that at work?
– No, haha… it’s not needed here.
What exactly does a mill master do?
– Simply put, it's like being a process engineer responsible for the operation of a mill at a facility. I’m supposed to be the expert, but "mill master" sounds cooler. My responsibilities include producing flour of the right quality for the ethanol and gluten process. I’ve broken down my role into different focus areas: training, maintenance, process monitoring, logic and functional descriptions, and project work.
What does a typical workday look like?
– A lot of it involves analyzing Excel sheets that pull data from our starch mill. I can spot trends and detect deviations in measurements. I also take part in implementing new equipment and, most importantly, troubleshooting and problem-solving. But above all, a big part of my job is training our operators since no one has operated a mill like this before.
It sounds like continuous learning?
– Yes, that’s my personal challenge—to become even better at the craft. I also want to share knowledge so that more colleagues become self-sufficient, making us less vulnerable to changes. Teaching others is fun, but it also benefits me. After every shift, I ask myself, “What have I learned today?”
FREDRIK PETTERSSON
Age: 40 years
Family: Wife and two children
Lives: Vikbolandet, outside Norrköping
Interests: Managing the family farm with beekeeping, forestry, and gardening. Reading fantasy books and playing fantasy role-playing games. Recently, also baking bread.