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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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?

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Minna Hietanen Manager,

Sales Support

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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

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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.

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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.