During a hectic period for Industri & Maling in Harstad, co-operation with HG colleagues in Schwenke has proved to be crucial in handling the increased workload.
- Industri & Maling has had busy times with many coinciding projects. The market has been quieter for us in Tromsø and Finnsnes, so we've sent painters to help out, says Sigve Schwenke, project manager at Schwenke.
Always a trick or two to teach
Using crew from other HG companies has several advantages over hiring through staffing agencies.
- Firstly, we secure employment for our permanent employees, says regional manager Thomas Schwenke.
- What's more, the money stays in the HG system instead of with a letting agency, and we achieve significantly greater security in terms of the quality and pace of production.
Thomas explains that this strategy is also proving to be a great learning opportunity for everyone involved.
- Interning at other companies provides knowledge and insight into how others solve assignments, says Thomas.
- We all have something to learn, and here we see that it goes both ways. Those who visit other companies pick up something, while there's always a trick or two to be learnt, he points out.
In this case, some of Schwenke's painters have been able to try out new products and share their bazooka putty expertise with Industri & Maling's apprentices, leading to a valuable exchange of knowledge.
Strengthened community
In Harstad, Schwenke's painters Emil and Przemyslaw have been hard at work on various projects for several months.
The work has been a positive experience for both of them.
- Together we have created a good working environment where everyone contributes with their unique skills and experience, says Emil.
Feedback from Rune Hjelmsø, General Manager of Industri & Maling, is entirely positive.
- The co-operation is going very well and in terms of operations, it's an incredible benefit to have people who know the Group. It's reassuring when they come with Schwenke and the HG logo on their clothes, with pride and professional understanding. These are not just people who are going to work in Norway for a few months, says Rune.
He also emphasises the importance of being able to utilise the available capacity in Tromsø in a more active market in Harstad.
- It allows us to capitalise on opportunities and even out peaks and troughs in the workload. This provides great security for our employees and shows how stable our Group is," he says.
Project manager Sigve Schwenke follows up on the painters during the project and emphasises the value of close dialogue and cooperation between those involved.
- We have regular dialogues about staffing - how long the painters will be there, when they will return, how it has worked and what they can do, he says.
- This has also been discussed in the regional meetings, which are a fantastic forum for discussing various challenges the companies face.
Sigve adds that this type of co-operation is crucial to ensure success.
- The guys were at Bendiksen in Bodø and helped with a hotel project before travelling to Harstad. "That project wouldn't have been possible without borrowing crew from others in HG. It shows how good we are at co-operating and sharing resources internally in the group, he points out.
Future opportunities
This type of internal mobility is something the Håndverksgruppen wants to build on.
- We've learnt a lot from this process, says Sigve.
- And we definitely see the potential for more collaborations like this in the future. After all, life situations change for some people, and now we're part of a group where you can get a new job throughout Northern Europe.
The experience from the Harstad project shows how we can co-operate effectively and support each other during demanding periods. By sharing resources and knowledge, and by utilising each other's strengths, we can continue to deliver high quality and maintain flexibility in our projects. We look forward to more such initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the entire group.