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Lindström stakeholder magazine
Lindström is always close to the customer
Workwear service adds ease to day-to-day work in India
Turvatiimi’s Aleksi Rapp knows good workwear
10 4 13
1 2 0 1 4
I N B R I E FLindström is a family business providing textile services for corporate customers.
Lindström operates in 23 countries in Europe and Asia. We have some 2,900 employees at more than 80 sites.
Lindström provides workwear services in all its operating countries, mat rental services in 13 European countries, personal protective equipment services in Finland and Hungary, industrial wipes services in Finland and Estonia, and textile and hygiene services in Finland.
Lindström workwear is worn by more than 1,000,000 users.
Growing demand for workwear services in India
Modular laundry benefits the customer and the environment
Eco-efficiency is the red thread running through
textile services
The Finnish coffee and spice company Meira marks its centenary with new workwear
4
10
8
16
Lindström stakeholder magazine 1 2 0 1 4
indström has always been a forerunner and innovative tester of
novel ideas. Carl August's son Walfrid travelled in Russia and
Central Europe to learn, and brought dry cleaning to Finland. The
next owners of the company, the Roiha family, brought the concept
of textile hiring from the United States in the 1930s. The Roiha family
still owns the company, now in its fifth generation.
Lindström is currently one of Europe's and Asia's leading textile
service companies. Internationalisation started cautiously in 1992 with
a container laundry set up in the Tallinn harbour. The small initial
investment along with portability were aimed to reduce risk if the
operations failed to get under way as planned. This single container
evolved into the present-day modular operating concept.
Lindström's strength lies in the individual textile care units which can
be set up quickly at low cost and can be easily expanded as the clientele
grows. The modular concept has taken us successfully to 23 countries
so far. Lindström has evolved into a business partner which guarantees
reliable service near the customer, always at high standard.
Lindström’s strongest assets are its reliability and accountability: our
customers know they can count on us to supply them with clean textiles
exactly as agreed and delivered on time. Our service is easy to use,
allowing customers to focus on their own core business. Our business
relationships are long-standing partnerships benefiting both parties.
Our operations rely on skilled staff. Each item
goes through a pair of human hands, and the
local staff know the needs of each customer. Our
internationally attuned management and experts
guarantee continuous growth and expansion.
This magazine explores our day-to-day
operations with customers around the globe, in
various cultures. Read about our journey.
Lindström – today and in the pastIn the mad year of Europe in 1848, Carl August Lindström of Helsinki established a dyer's shop in the Finnish capital. This small dyer's shop established nearly 170 years ago has evolved into today's Lindström, a business partner that operates in 23 countries.
E D I T O R I A L1 2 0 1 4
L
Juha Laurio President & CEO, Lindström Group
Clear is Lindström's
stakeholder magazine.
It is published in Finnish,
Russian and English.
Publisher: Lindström Oy
Hermannin rantatie 8
FI-00580 Helsinki
www.lindstrom.fi
Editor-in-chief: Tarja Hämäläinen
Editorial board: Tarja Hämäläinen, Leena
Kähkönen, Inka Kokkonen
Layout: Zeeland
ISSN 2342-3234 (print)
ISSN 2342-3242 (online)
Clear is issued twice a year.
4
he road to the factory of Mondelez
International, an international food
giant in Northern India, is a typical
Indian main road: a bumpy dirt
road crowded with the most varied of
vehicles, from ox carts to tricycles – not to
mention the cows.
The non-stop blowing of horns and lack of traffic rules do
not appear to bother Lindström's lorry drivers, who navigate
amidst the chaos in a calm and composed manner to reach
the customer in the city of Baddi.
Lindström's lorries have travelled this road from July
2012, when cooperation with Mondelez International began.
The cooperation covers all five food factories operated by
Mondelez International around India: Mumbai, Gwalior,
Baddi, Bangalore and Pune. At the Baddi factory, Lindström
provides the daily workwear for more than 2,000 local
workers.
LOCKER SERVICE RECEIVES PRAISE
The sweet smell of chocolate meets the
visitor at the factory's door. The tidy
locker rooms are bustling with people
as the shift is just changing.
Mohit Gupta is about to start his
day's work on the assembly line. He says
that getting changed into workwear has
become notably easier since Mondelez
International switched to Lindström's
workwear service.
“In the past we'd have to queue up
for a clean set of clothes for a long time,
and we might not get the right size.
T
The use of a workwear service is still a novelty in India. Demand grows on a par with industrial modernisation.
Lindström provides the daily workwear for more than 2,000 local workers at Mondelez International's Baddi factory. Jitender Sharma
The road to India
Now our workwear is waiting in our own locker as we arrive,
and at the end of the shift we simply toss them in a hamper,”
says Gupta.
The foreman, Jitender Sharma, is also satisfied with
Lindström. He gives particular praise to the locker service,
which guarantees that no impurities are transferred from the
worker's own clothes to the workwear.
SERVICE MAKES LIFE EASIER
Sharma says that the workwear service has significantly
improved the factory's hygiene standards.
“We used to have our own laundry, but the quality of
hygiene and washing result was spotty. Managing the
changing of clothes was difficult, and losses would occur,” he
says.
Now the workwear is transported from the Baddi factory
to Lindström's service centre in Panchkula, where they
text Pia Heikkilä | photos Pia Heikkilä
M O N D E L E Z I N T E R N A T I O N A L
5
Garments wait to be picked up in our own locker.
Lindström’s service representatives deliver clean clothes to secure lockers and collect used workwear for washing and maintenance.
– Mohit Gupta, Mondelez International
“Companies in the food and beverage sector are increasingly paying attention to workplace and workwear hygiene,” says Lindström Vice President, Design and Brand Management Anna-Kaisa Huttunen.
At Lindström, hygiene is taken into consideration from the design stage. The designs and materials are selected with attention to ensuring that no foreign particles can reach the foods and beverages. For example, the clothes often have no pockets above the waistline.
CERTIFIED PROCESS
necessary preventive measures ensure that workwear serviced by Lindström is always hygienic. The service centres adhere to the European Standard EN-SFS 14065, which guarantees the desired level of hygiene throughout the service process.
The employees have strict orders regarding clothing, personal hygiene and prevention of contagion, and these orders cover the entire personnel from production to lorry drivers. There is an in-house control system in place to control the washing temperature, pH values and dispensing of detergents to verify the effectiveness of disinfection. Hygiene tests are performed on outgoing customer workwear by way of spot checks.
tests are performed regularly, and the samples are analysed by an external laboratory.
”We are continuously developing the professionalism of our personnel. Each service centre has a hygiene
Marjo Mäntylä, Manager, Process Development and Environmental Issues.
COMPETITIVE EDGE
operating countries, also in Croatia, which recently joined the EU and became subject to the EU food hygiene standards. However, according to Mislav
, Managing Director of Lindström Croatia, the
involves the operating environment of food and beverage companies. “The competitive situation is now
and beverage companies have to compete in the free market with other European businesses.”
In order to compete successfully, Croatian food and beverage businesses need to be able to increase their
Outsourcing workwear care to EU-compliant Lindström gives Croatian companies a competitive edge and helps them focus on their core business without workwear concerns.
“Lindström takes care of delivering compliant and
concludes.
CLEAN WORK
are washed according to the required hygiene standard and any
torn clothes are mended. The service makes life easier for both
employees and the management.
GROWING DEMAND
Lindström has operated in India since 2007. Besides
Mondelez International, its clients in India include electronics,
pharmaceutical and automotive companies in nine locations.
There is demand for services offered since the challenging
global economy requires that every Indian company aiming for
international markets must pay more attention to workwear
cleanliness and safety.
Due to its unique operating model, Lindström is able to quickly
respond to the growing needs of India's modernising industrial
sector.
“Lindström's model clearly departs from the traditional laundry
service, where clothes are washed using low-quality detergents,
hung outdoors to dry and transported to clients by rickshaw,
which exposes them to impurities and dust,” affirms the director of
Lindström's local unit, Manish Lodha.
CONVINCING CLEANLINESS AND CONVENIENCE
“We may not be India's most inexpensive provider of workwear
service, but when our customers see how clean the clothes are and
how handily the locker service works, they are convinced of the
benefits,” says regional sales manager Aarti Bhandari, who meets
with potential customers daily.
A busy day at the Baddi factory is turning into evening.
Lindström's employees are still packing up the lorries with
professional efficiency and in seamless cooperation. Once fully
packed, the lorries are ready to take to the crowded road back to
the Panchkula service centre.
From the cabin window, Lindström's crew waves goodbye to
another satisfied customer.
6
D E V E L O P M E N T
indström's basic product, workwear, has undergone a major
shift. Lindström employees asked customers all over the
world to propose improvements to workwear. They also
analysed market developments and competitors' offerings.
“It occurred to us that sizing could be continent-specific.
Previously, all workwear was based on European body measurements.
People's body types vary a lot, though, and good measurements are essential
for product quality,” comments Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, Vice President,
Design and Brand Management at Lindström.
Workwear services decided to tailor separate collections for the
European, Indian and Chinese markets, on the basis of regional average
measurements. Statistical information existed on European measurements,
but manual work was required to establish the sizes of Asian customers.
A team of two Lindström employees, equipped with background
information and measuring tapes, set off to measure the sizes of current and
potential customers. First, sizes were taken with a measuring tape. Then
people tried on different clothes to verify their fit and size.
In China, body measurement data is available for the clothing industry,
but the latest figures were based on measurements made 20 years ago. “We
wanted to check the accuracy of the old data,” says Huttunen.
USABLE CLOTHES ARE NOT DISCARDED
Modernising sizing was only one part of the extensive workwear revamp.
The collections now offer a more comprehensive range of options, from
which Lindström companies around the world can choose their own
country-specific collections.
All products have a fresh new look. The cuts are modern and the clothes
have a stylish fit. Unnecessary looseness and pleating have been removed
from women's garments, and good patterns ensure room for movement.
Dimensions have been decreased by a couple of sizes.
The new clothes will not be introduced overnight. “Garments will be
phased in gradually. When a jacket coming in for a wash is worn out, we
replace it with a new product. Workwear that is in good condition is not
thrown away. Replacing everything in one go would not be economically
viable or sustainable. The clothes of the old collection are safe and usable in
every way,” Huttunen stresses.
text by Heli Satuli | photo by Junnu Lusa
People come in different shapes, and sizing is an integral part of the quality of a
product.
WORKWEAR MADE TO MEASURELindström tailor-makes models for the European, Indian and
Chinese markets.
L
– Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, Lindström
7
Workwear life cycle
Manufacture of raw materials
Design and product development
Manufacture
nvironmental problems
and concern about
limited resources have
made material efficiency
an important goal in both
the public sector and in companies.
Material efficiency means producing
more with less, saving the environment.
At Lindström material efficiency is
based on a long usable life and life-
cycle management of our textiles in a
way that is best for the environment
and the business.
WELL PLANNED IS...
Everything starts with good planning.
The amount of cutting waste in the
pattern-making process is minimised.
Buttons, press studs and zips are
avoided to make garments more
recyclable. Torn garments are mended,
and only those beyond repair are
discarded as textile waste. When an
employee leaves the company, the
garments are transferred to another
employee wearing the same model and
size. This ensures that the raw material
is efficiently used, high-quality textiles
are passed on and garments are not
discarded without good reason.
REUSE IS STANDARD PRACTICE
When a product has seen its best days
We minimise the amount of cutting waste and use metal parts sparingly. We choose our materials
to comply with sustainable development.
We invest in responsible supplier chain and in optimising
transportation and storage.
We use natural resources responsibly and utilise recycled materials where possible. In manufacture we use durable,
high-quality cotton that withstands wear and tear.
E
text by Helka Herlevi
8
Use
Disposal
We take responsibility for product safety and extending the useful life of textiles. We minimise the environmental impacts of the
maintenance and service process.
We discard textile waste responsibly or reuse it smartly.
he Lindström and Comforta textile services generate around
one million kilos of discarded textiles a year. Torn textiles are used to make recycled products for industrial purposes.
In the autumn of 2013, worn but intact linen was donated to the Finnish Red Cross, which uses them on its international disaster relief missions.
The Finnish Red Cross packed recycled linen into sets containing an undersheet, duvet cover, pillowcase and towel. These are stored in the Red Cross depot in Tampere, and from there they are sent as disaster relief to
camps.
EFFICIENT AIDThe Red Cross has tuned its logistics
has permanent warehouses and depots
and is removed from customer use, it
becomes reusable material.
Textile waste arising in Finland is
either combusted for energy or passed
on to subcontractors for other reuse
or for charity. Roll towels and some
hotel textiles get a new lease on life as
industrial wipes or soak-up sheets, rags
and rug-making materials, or spun into
recycled thread.
In Lindström's other operating
countries, some of the discarded
textiles are combusted for energy and
small volumes end up in other reuse,
but a fraction still ends up at a landfill
site. New sustainable alternatives are
constantly being looked for in all
operating countries. The goal is to
raise the Group's textile waste reuse
rate from the current 73 percent to 90
percent by 2016.
around the globe, which dispatch goods to areas in need.
The basics are acquired locally
hospital of the Finnish Red Cross and other special equipment always come from Finland. An entire hospital with all relevant equipment can be transported to its destination, even by donkeys if necessary.
as possible, which is why acquisitions are planned with utmost care. This way stocked goods are always “new”, up to date and appropriate.
demand. Our aim is to always have 2,500 sets of linen in stock, so we can send them off as disaster relief with the
sets as stocks dwindle,” says project planner Outi Amanor from the Finnish Red Cross.
CASE FINNISH RED CROSS Linen as disaster relief
When a product has seen its best days and is removed from customer use, it becomes reusable material.
T
9
Service centres
Near the customerThe patented modular laundry concept is much more than a laundry on wheels.
indström's laundry operations
are built on the modular
laundry concept, which
comprises not just the
laundry service, but also
business models, work methods and
operating systems. The modular concept
saves the environment and has many
benefits to customers.
The new operating model took
off in the early 1990s, as Lindström
considered expansion into Estonia.
The company wanted to hedge the
investment in case operations didn’t
take off as planned, so they came
up with a flexible solution. The then
President and CEO Jukka Roiha,
who is now Chairman of the Board
at Lindström, had heard of pulp mills
sailing in the Southern Ocean which
could relocate as needed. The idea of a
modular laundry built on a chassis was
operating area. Finland has 21 branches, Russia and India nine each, and China four. Other operating countries have currently one to three service centres.
In 2013 new service centres were set up in Zagreb, Croatia; Donetsk, Ukraine; Bangalore, India and in Minsk, Belarus.
In 2014 new service centres are likely to be set up in Russia, Estonia, India and China.
text by Helka Herlevi | photos by Lindström
created, and the first modular laundries
arose in Tallinn and St Petersburg. The
modular laundry model is now functional
in all operating countries.
A transportable laundry alone did not
fulfil the efficiency targets. The company
also imitated McDonald’s, whose small
units operate cost-efficiently and employees
are trained under a fixed formula.
“We have strongly expanded in the past
few years, often to countries where textile
services are pretty much an unknown
business. The concept paves our way to a
new market, since it is reproducible and
creates a uniform operating environment
wherever we go,” says Mika Hartikainen,
Senior Vice President, Asia, Eastern and
Central Europe.
QUICK, HASSLE-FREE, EFFICIENT
Lindström's way of working is not just
beneficial to the company itself, but also
to customers and the environment: the
L
Lindström's modular laundry concept comprises not just the laundry service, but also business models, work methods and operating systems.
10
service centers are always close to the
customer. The concept helps here as
well: Lindström does not need to set up
its own facilities, but can use the concept
and set up business in leased premises.
“Location is part of being hassle-
free. We can offer speedy delivery in
a situation where the customer needs
more workwear. Short transport
distances significantly reduce the carbon
footprint, adding to cost efficiency,”
Hartikainen says.
TAKE ONE LOAD, BRING BACK
ANOTHER
Lindström Group's lorries drove a total
of 28 million kilometres in 2013. The
growth of the business and production
volumes was reflected in increased total
mileage, but the distance driven per one
kilogram of textiles was just 175 metres.
The washed textiles are taken to
customers using vans and lorries from
laundries specialising in different
product groups. The trunk routes and
local distribution routes are constantly
optimised and the vehicles' utility rates
are kept high. A single-vehicle principle
is the norm: the same vehicle takes the
clean textiles to the customer and picks
up the laundry. At best, the same vehicle
takes all of Lindström's service textiles
to the customer in one go. An exception
to this rule is made in big cities, where
distribution trucks are filled with goods
belonging to just one or two product
groups.
Service centres outside Finland
typically serve a wider geographic area.
For this reason the relative proportion
of distribution distance per textile
kilogram transported is higher than in
Finland. Growing customer base and
new service centres will cut down the
distribution distances in future also in
these countries.
Short transportation distances
impact our carbon footprint.
Lindström has operated in Ukraine since 2006. The workwear service has aroused so much interest in the country that the Kiev service centre was not enough to satisfy rapidly growing demand. In the winter of 2013, a new service centre was opened in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.
In line with Lindström's strategy, the new centre is located near the customer. The carefully considered location minimises environmental impacts and keeps logistical costs in check.
“One of our biggest customers, Metinvest, operates in Donetsk. The region has many industrial companies and workforce as well as an advanced infrastructure, which combine to offer many opportunities for business development,” says Konstantin Dovzhenko, Managing Director of Lindström Ukraine.
Lindström currently employs 40 people in Ukraine. In the near future the number is likely to rise. Lindström has brought in the modular laundry concept used in every operating country.
“All countries are encouraged to provide tips for improvement. Lindström's management looks into the idea and if it is approved, it is quickly adopted in all countries,” Dovzhenko explains.
New service centre set up in Ukraine
– Mika Hartikainen, Lindström
11
The service covers all workwear needs. Lindström selects the collection together with the customer, acquires
for all users and makes the required alterations so that everyone gets clothes
At agreed intervals, a Lindström service representative picks up used workwear for washing and replaces
them with clean sets. When the garments are in for washing, Lindström's textile care workers also mend them as needed or change items which are worn out and no longer compliant with the customer's quality standards. Lindström
disposal of the clothes as required by waste regulations and sustainability principles.
The service can help any business, ranging from a two-man garage to a large corporation. If the company is big,
the brand image.
also be taken into account. In industrial
work, the workwear must protect from impurities, withstand wear and ensure that employees stand out in loading areas and warehouses. In the service sector, more attention is paid to the colours of uniforms and the materials used are lighter.
The customer's daily work is easier when Lindström takes over the washing and care of workwear. Most customers also use the locker service, which means that Lindström's service representative
delivers a set of clean workwear directly into the personal locker of each employee, and the worksite and social areas are kept tidy.
The workwear is on lease, so the customer does not tie up capital in purchases.
The eLindström online service lets the customer manage the volume of workwear used and place additional orders as required. The service is also
needs to be temporarily adjusted due to
Lindström's textile care workers mend any damaged garments while they are in for washing, which extends their usable
reached the end of their usable life are disposed of, so the customer will not have unusable clothes lying around.
What does the workwear service cover?
Who is the workwear service for?
How does workwear
a customer?
Workwear service ensures smooth operations
Minna Hietanen explains how Lindström's workwear service makes customers' life easier.
2
1
3
The customer's main duty is to ensure that the garments are left at the designated hamper for washing. They should not try washing the clothes themselves – Lindström's service guarantees proper washing at the correct temperature. This is particularly
important in sectors which rely on strict hygiene standards.
The customer must also ensure that the clothes are returned if the user's size changes or employment is terminated. Everything else they can leave to Lindström.
What is the customer's responsibility?
4
Minna Hietanen Manager,
Sales Support
12
he uniform is important for a security guard. It tells
others who we are. It must work well but also look
good,” Aleksi Rapp says.
Rapp works at the Helsinki central railway station.
He works in 12-hour shifts at a highly visible location.
“Around 200,000 people pass through the Helsinki central
railway station a day. When everyone can see you at work, you
want to wear clothes that look good,” he smiles.
“Most of our work is guiding people who need help. We are
asked for the way to a shopping mall, for example. For these duties
we are gentlemen who provide a helping hand. But our work also
involves cases where we need to get involved. We have to be able
to run, crawl, climb – and the clothes have to withstand that.
When the situation is over, we go back to our gentleman's duties,”
Rapp says.
A security guard's uniform consists of a jacket, top, trousers,
equipment belt, security vest and security boots. The uniform is
clearly marked with security tags.
Rapp, who has worked in the field for ten years, knows what
a good uniform is like – and what it's not. “A good cut is really
important. The trousers' pockets have to work with the equipment
belt. If the cut is poor, you can't reach items in your pocket.
Or if the top comes out of the trousers when I lift my arms, I
get very annoyed. Clothes that don't fit chafe and make you
uncomfortable. When you wear an item 12 hours in one go, you
want to avoid chafing,” Rapp says.
A security guard also needs to know all about dressing in layers
– it's and indoor and outdoor job. On their first day on the job,
new security guards are told how to wear their uniforms.
Rapp approves of the current workwear. The uniform can be
made more breathable by unzipping the ventilation flaps. The
clothes may also get stained in ways that require washing in high
temperatures. They must withstand these conditions.
When the shift ends, it's time to change out of the uniform.
“Clothes make a security guard. At home I wear what I like and
do other things,” Rapp says.
Clothes make a security guard
T
text by Terhi Paavola | photo by Junnu Lusa
The shift begins when Aleksi Rapp, security shift manager at Turvatiimi, puts on his uniform.
A security guard's job places big demands on clothing, says Aleksi Rapp. 13
he above question is one of
twenty tricky customer service
situations for which Lindström
staff members playing a board
game are looking to find the optimum
solution. The “At your service” game
is part of Lindström's service culture
development project.
There are three ways to get ahead
and collect points in the game. The
question cards measure the participants'
knowledge of Lindström, and the chance
cards add a level of suspense. Most of
the two-hour session is spent on service
situation questions, which include typical
real life, day-to-day service situations and
hypothetical situations.
First, the chairman reads out the card
and each player has a short time to think
about the right option. Then, everyone
T
“You are a service representative. The day has been hectic, and you're on your way to a customer operating in a large industrial area to deliver a fresh batch of workwear. When
empty and you can't see a soul. Your schedule still includes many more workwear deliveries to other customers, and the clock is ticking. What do you do?”
Service development need not be hard work
reveals their choice and discussion
follows. In ten minutes, the team must
reach agreement on how to solve the
situation.
The solutions are not entirely
straightforward. For some answers
you get minus points, for some you
get moderate plus points, and for the
best service solutions you win a large
bonus.
The game has been well received
by employees. It helps players see
situations from different
perspectives and consider
how their own actions can impact the
customer's service experience. The
link of customer-focused thinking to
practical work becomes clearer as the
game progresses.
But what do you do if you're stuck
behind a closed door as a service
representative?
Do you call a service line for the
customer's phone number and let them
know by phone that the door needs
to be opened so their delivery can be
made? Or do you just let customer
service know the situation and drive
away? What about leaving the delivery
of clean clothes at the door and letting
customer service know it's there? Or
should you just hurry on to make sure
other customers get their deliveries on
time?
Lots of options, but what would be
the best service? We will not reveal the
right answer yet, as the game is part of
Lindström's new employee induction
and continues to be played at various
branches. Meanwhile, our service
standards continue to rise.
The game will help a new employee
quickly get a handle on the
company.
Players discuss the situations in good spirits.
The board game helps introduce new employ-ees to the company and its practices.
text by Joanna Sinclair | photos by Lindström
14
N E W S
Lindström continues on a path of growth in Europe and Asia. International operations bring in 39 per cent of the turnover, and the share continues to grow. Growth is particularly rapid in Russia, China and India.
Lindström Group's turnover increased by 5.3 per cent to 303 million euros. The growth did not quite meet the Group target in euros
However, the turnover grew in all business areas, and internationalisation continued strongly.
Despite the challenging economic situation, the Group has achieved good
euros. The non-Finnish subsidiaries are showing an increasingly strong impact in
many operational areas has also brought excellent results.
of investments was 11.3 million euros. This year the company will invest more in growth. The greatest investments will go to setting up new service centres in Estonia, India, China and Russia.
Rapidly evolving Kazakhstan, and Serbia, which began EU accession
workwear services. A textile care service centre will be set up in Almaty, the former
capital of Kazakhstan. Key employees are currently being recruited. Kazakhstan has not yet attracted widespread interest from international companies or investors, but the country has a lot of potential from Lindström's perspective.
Professional workwear service is also new in Serbia. The country has a few international companies operating on its territory, and we will be able to provide the service familiar to them from other countries. The service centre will be set up in the capital, Belgrade. The recruitment of key employees is already well under way.
The expansion decisions are based on thorough market research. For both Kazakhstan and Serbia, research indicated a demand and interest for workwear services.
way of drawing ambitious and talented new graduates into the house and offering them a career in a growing international company. Trainee programmes have already been set up in Finland, India, China and Russia.
In Finland, Sales School started this year with a focus on service sales, and in India another programme was launched to train people for managerial positions.
Risto-Pekka Rantanenhead of the workwear services procurement team. “The trainee programme was a good introduction to Lindström and the services we provide. It prepared us for acting in a variety of roles in-Group.”
As much as 39 per cent of Lindström Group's turnover already comes from subsidiaries outside Finland.
%
15
text
by
Hel
ka H
erle
vi |
phot
os b
y Li
ndst
röm
he green spice jars proceed
rhythmically along
the production line at
Meira, where each stage
is carefully monitored
by visual inspection. The
wonderful aroma of spices
wafting in the rooms and the employees
bustling in their new khaki wear take the
visitor to India’s sunny spice plantations,
but the street view behind the paned
windows reveals we’re still in Helsinki,
Finland.
Meira, a Finnish coffee and spice
producer and distributor, celebrates
its centenary this year. To mark the
occasion, the company wanted to
revamp its look to better reflect its
expertise as the producer of Finland’s
most popular coffees and spices.
“Meira has been our customer for
more than 30 years, and the previous
workwear makeover was long ago.
Knowing the customer and their
business well really makes a difference in
our cooperation. It was easy to bring up
Meira’s new look exudes expertise
Tnew ideas in the makeover, things that the
customer might not think of,” says Sanna Olkkonen, Meira’s contact at Lindström
for 10 years.
CHANGE OF COLOUR SCHEME
Meira’s former workwear was navy
blue, but now the wish was for a lighter
collection, more typical of the food
industry.
“We ended up with white and khaki,
perfect for the new brand image. An
exception was made by
creating a few different-
coloured special
garments to help
identify individuals
with special duties,
such as maintenance,”
says designer Minna Hyrsky.
WORKWEAR MUST
FEEL GOOD
The starting point of
designing workwear
is always to make sure the employee
feels good and is comfortable wearing
it. Nothing should come between
work performance and guaranteering
quality.
“Hygiene factors are under scrutiny
in the food sector. In Meira’s case the
workwear was designed with hidden
buttons, and pockets were placed below
the waistline. These solutions, in part,
ensure that no foreign particles enter
the production process,” says Hyrsky.
The collection
is also modifiable
according to the
ambient temperature.
Each individual’s
workwear is
personalised to ensure
that employees learn
each other’s names.
Joint planning and
a focus on details bore
fruit once again: the
new clothes are a hit at
the factory.
MEIRA’S COFFEE ROASTERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1914. THE COMPANY’S SPICE FACTORY STARTED A YEAR LATER.
The workwear was designed with hidden buttons, and pockets were placed below the waistline.