Interview: Michael Astrup, Production Manager

Michael Astrup is the Production Manager at HPNow, in charge of the daily production of our machinery, and responsible for the build-up of our production facilities. But did you know he’s also an artist? You’ll find out all about that, and of course about his role in the company, in the following article.

Michael, who has been with the company for almost two years now, says there’s no such thing as a typical day in the office. “I do many things, from purchasing to inventory, and from production build-up to ensuring the customer gets the machinery when it’s done. In a scale-up company such as HPNow, there’s always something to do.”

The move to the new facility has given him an extra challenge. “We have built a brand new factory from scratch,” Michael says, speaking about the new production facility. “There was nothing here when we started with production. Now we have a future-proof production facility.”

It’s been a challenge, working long hours, but an enjoyable one. “I like to build something new, and to have a lot of things to do, especially when it involves engineering work on the machinery. But most of all, I enjoy making the production run smoothly, and seeing the plans I make work in real life.”

Knowing this, it’s not entirely surprising that in his spare time, Michael enjoys creating metal sculptures. “I was a blacksmith before I became a mechanical engineer. In my spare time, I make sculptures and exhibit them in different galleries around Copenhagen.” You can see some examples of his work, which incorporates recycled materials, on this very page.

In other words: work hard, play hard. Fortunately, Michael doesn’t have to do all the work on his own. “I have a really great production team. People with a good sense of humor. At HPNow, that humor, combined with people wanting to contribute to building something, is what makes it great to work here.”