In the early years of my career, 1989–1996, I worked in the Finnish fashion industry. During those seven years, the number of jobs in the Finnish textile and clothing sector halved from over 30,000 to under 15,000. Now there are fewer than 5,000 jobs. It’s clear that only the strongest companies in the sector have survived this drastic structural change.
As a company, Dimex was already familiar to me from business magazines as one of the top performers in the success rankings for the North Savo region for several years. Now, having spent a few months as a member of the board, I’ve had a closer look at the company. I’ve been able to see that Dimex’s success is the result of determined and uncompromising work.
In my opinion, long-term success in business requires that a company must be able to create value for its customers under all circumstances. Dimex creates value in two ways: from the end user's perspective, Dimex's products are made to be durable, functional and safe workwear for all those who do their job with a full attitude. From the retailer's perspective, Dimex's products offer the opportunity to make a good financial result. In my opinion, a strong brand distinguished by quality and delivery reliability and a commitment to developing the retail channel are the cornerstones of Dimex's operations.
Last year Dimex celebrated its 35th anniversary. At the same time, a carefully planned and well-managed generational change was completed at Dimex. As a new member of the Board, it has been easy to see that the family company is now led with the Dimex attitude by a creative trio with a strong shared ambition to develop Dimex into an even stronger company in Finland and in nearby markets.
-Arto Herranen