When Ivo Nigul joined ABB on May 16, 2005, the company was operating on Vineeri Street – figuratively speaking, in a garage with an adobe floor.
The job was temporary, the conditions were modest, but the opportunities were great. When he graduated school and took his first steps in the profession, he had no idea that one day he would be leading important development and production processes – today Ivo is the Project Manager and Testing Manager of ABB Drives factory in Estonia.
The old ABB factory called ABB NOVA (project-based name) was once located on Veerenni Street 
Although Ivo had studied energy and had already completed an internship at Eesti Energia during his studies, ABB was his first real job. The work ran in parallel with a training course for new ABB employees, which covered electricity, motors and drives. “It turned out that I didn’t need it – I had already graduated with a bachelor’s degree in energy engineering,” he smiles. He worked as a fitter for only a month and a half, then moved on to become the head of the final inspection team and soon became a foreman.
When the factory moved to Jüri, the next stage of Ivo’s career began – with a new factory and several important changes. “By the time of the first factory expansion, I was already the Final Inspection Foreman. There were 50-70 people in my team. This time was stressful, but very developmental – I learned about management, processes, budgeting and much more.”
The first products of the factory located on Vineeri Street - motor cartridges (for ABB in Västerås, Sweden). 
Moving to a new factory in Jüri 
Moving to a new factory in Jüri 
Moving to a new factory in Jüri 
Moving to a new factory in Jüri
Ivo considers the HOP project, which aimed to develop automated testing solutions for the ICD cabinet line, to be a groundbreaking milestone. The work included creating a hardware and software concept for the testing system and building a prototype to replace manual testing. The project started in early 2017 and lasted for several years. Today, in addition to projects, Ivo also manages the entire factory's testing activities.
Ivo introducing the tester 
In addition, from left, Chris J.Poynter (Head of Product Group System Drives), Klaus Heiskanen, Peter Lindgren (Local Product Group Manager), Mihkel Must, Tomi Taipale also visited the tester.
Over the years, knowledge, experience and many memories have been accumulated
What keeps Ivo at ABB after twenty years? “My colleagues are great and the work has always been interesting. Especially the first decade – the factory grew quickly, there was always something new happening.” He admits that the whole working life has become much more precise and regulated. "Whereas before it was simply said, 'Don't put your finger in the switch' - now all safety requirements are documented, work clothes are regulated, processes are standardized."
Ivo also recalls more humorous moments, such as the situation when in the middle of summer, excavation work in progress had to be unexpectedly stopped before an important delegation visit. “The streets had been dug up to lay new cables – the work had to be finished quickly, the original situation had to be restored and the temporary lawn had to be partially installed. I think I’m the only person at ABB who has had to deal with landscaping – and it’s still remembered,” he smiles.
He advises new colleagues not to worry too much about papers or professional background. "If you can think technically and find logic in things, you can always develop. Education is important, but education and mindset are even more important," he believes, adding that anything is possible at ABB.
