When Lindstrom first set up its India operations in 2007, the company thought a lion’s share of its clients would be multinationals. After all, reasoned its leadership team, they were more familiar with a Finnish brand dealing in textile services.

“We thought it would be easier reaching out to MNCs first as they use our services elsewhere. In any market, local companies need time to size up a new entrant like Lindstrom,” said Juha Laurio, President & CEO, during a recent visit to India.

Reality turned out to be different, and happily so, with local players now accounting for nearly 70 per cent of business. Lindstrom supplies workwear to a host of user industries from pharmaceuticals and food processing to automotive and retail. It has 10 service centres which design, supply and deliver garments while catering to mending, washing and maintenance too.

“We came to India at the right time when a change in mindset was setting in. The new generation has higher aspirations than their predecessors. They dream big and want to go global which explains why we have so many local customers,” says Anupam Chakrabarty, Managing Director, Lindstrom Services India.

From his corporate headquarters in Helsinki (Finland), Laurio is now drawing up a Vision 2020 plan which will see India play a pivotal role in the reminder of this decade. The goal is to double the number of service centres to 20 with at least four times the current volumes and 1,000 employees.

According to Chakrabarty, everything boils down to business sense as different industries in India have their own set of priorities and need to be convinced of the value offering. “Today, you are subject to so much scrutiny that we need to make sure that everything is compliant with global standards across user segments. Trust is the key to our business and our relationships are long-term,” he says.

New geographies

While Europe continues to be among its key markets, Lindstrom is working towards increasing its business in new geographies where the need for corporate workwear is on the rise. India’s role has become even more significant thanks to its intellectual manpower which now plays an important role for Lindstrom’s activities across the world.

Laurio believes the culture here reflects a quick level of adaptability unlike other countries. Going forward, Indians could even play a far more active role in global leadership functions. “Every CEO should ensure that he is surrounded by smarter people (than himself) because that is the best way forward,” he says.

Big role for employees

From Laurio’s point of view, this is where team spirit and emotional intelligence play a big role for employees who are now part of a rapidly changing global landscape. Today, people need to get along with counterparts from other countries while marching towards a common goal.

It is here that Laurio refers to Lindstrom’s new HR initiative, ‘Get to know what Others do’ where the idea is learn new things and forge friendships along the way. Here, employees spend nearly five days in a similar position in another unit or other functions within the group. In the process, they sharpen their skills and appreciate the skills of other colleagues.

Eventually, for Lindstrom, customer satisfaction is the key and this is where employee happiness becomes paramount.

“We like to have customers forever and are not interested in what happens next quarter/year. This is the legacy of Lindstrom as a family company with its sense of values maintained for over 165 years,” declares Laurio.

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