Unexpected decision of the American: career heights are reached in Utena

The current production manager of “Utena beer” has been living in this city for a little more than two months. Born and raised in the Washington area, and later wandering around Europe, Tim moved to Utena from Sweden, where he worked for the Carlsberg group. The American is happy with life in Utena, and although this city has 28 times less people than his native Washington, Tim says he has everything he needs here.

“I like it here, Utena is calm and beautiful. You don’t have to go far to work, which is especially fun because I used to live in bigger cities. This new experience is refreshing. In addition, Vilnius or Kaunas are also very close. However, Utena has everything you need for a normal life and more affordable prices. Even if I lived in a bigger city, my routine would probably be the same – I get up, go to work, come home, make something to eat, maybe have some hobby, and finally go to sleep,” says Tim.

He adds that he spends his free time learning Lithuanian. He is also fascinated by the nature of Utena, so he often spends his weekends there, going for short walks or longer hikes. “It is pleasing that many colleagues also live here. That’s why I often spend my free time with them,” Tim adds.

Copenhagen also played an important role in the American’s trip to Lithuania. It was in the capital of Denmark that Tim studied at the Scandinavian School of Brewers, where he studied together with Dalia Jočyte, the current head of the Utena alaus brewery. While working in Sweden, he saw a job advertisement that she had shared. On the LinkedIn platform, D. Jočytė announced that she was looking for an employee. I wrote to her and asked if there would be a chance for someone who doesn’t even speak Lithuanian. Obviously, there was that chance,” laughs Timas. The American admits that it was necessary to overcome several stages of selection, but his work experience accumulated in more than one brewery, as well as a good education and other reasons determined that he heard a positive answer.

Whether he will really move to Utena, the current production manager of the brewery says that he has not considered for a long time. “First of all, it was a great opportunity for me to move up the career ladder. Secondly, I had already visited Lithuania before, I was invited to visit here by a former colleague with whom I worked in Copenhagen. I spent most of my weekends in Vilnius, and although some foreigners don’t have the best opinion about Eastern European countries, I saw that it’s just as great here as in Western Europe,” says the American.

He also shares that he was very pleasantly surprised by the modernity of the Utena brewery: “Although the brewery itself is in its fifth decade, it is immediately apparent that regular investments have been made in it. Investments are still being made now. Therefore, this factory stands out for its comfortable working environment, productivity, quality and many other aspects. I am very happy to be a part of an organization that employs so many professionals who also have great personal qualities.”

In the “Utena beer” brewery, Tim directly manages a team of several, and indirectly – a dozen people. He says he admires the qualities of his colleagues. “They are all true professionals, educated, but at the same time very friendly and relaxed. I really have something to learn here on my career path”, emphasizes the production manager.

True, he admits that the biggest challenge so far is the Lithuanian language. The American only recently added Lithuanian language lessons to his routine. “Many people here speak English well, but with some older workers you have to use Google translate to communicate.” Unfortunately, I won’t learn the language overnight,” smiles the American, emphasizing that he would like to stay in Utena for a longer time and climb the career ladder even higher here.