A bit of basic info about Dimex. There are 70 of us Dimex people in total, about a third in Leppävirta and the rest in Rapla, Estonia. Our turnover in 2008 was just over 8 million euros. We have sales and production in both Finland and Estonia.
Sometimes the mood and general atmosphere tend to be sad and negative. My basic idea, however, is that joys and sorrows are part of life. You live through them. Then you move on.
Towards the end of last year we began to understand that this wasn’t just a small dip in the economy, but something more serious. The first thing that came to mind were the measures we had already taken to strengthen Dimex. Now it was time for new actions. This time too, we immediately increased the number of sales activities. We adjusted production to match sales, for example by terminating two subcontracting agreements in Estonia. Here in Leppävirta people are working a shortened work week. So far we’ve managed to implement this by, among other things, converting holiday bonuses into time off and by converting last year’s performance bonuses from euros into days off. We already cut our own, the entrepreneurs’, monthly salaries a year ago. In addition, we are seeking external help to streamline our operations. We need this for renewal and change. For us it has always been the case that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. I stress this to our employees as well.
People are asking when the situation will be over? Are the measures sufficient? It is impossible to answer these. The outlook is unclear. I am sure that the world, especially Finland and especially Dimex, will get through this. We all hope that with as little damage as possible.
In this time, there are big changes happening in the way companies operate. This will affect us all. The change is continuous and it is intensifying. That was the case last time too. Those who can change will do best.
We have to live in the present. At the same time, we must look to and prepare for the future. There is always opportunity there. We must learn from the past.
In the next blog I will focus on the Finland-Sweden international match.
Best regards,
Jukka Krogerus
P.S. Thank you for all the feedback. I’d love to get more.
jukka.krogerus@dimex.fi