Words from the owner
"The culture of a company is tangible and constantly making itself felt. It permeates what we do and how we do it. It defines which events attract our attention and how we relate to customers, suppliers and each other. The culture is a coherent driving force and point of reference. The company that lacks culture lacks substance.
But where can we find the origins of the corporate culture…. During my almost 30-year tenure as head of the company, I have often thought about the Axel Johnson Group’s culture and basic values. It is obvious that these stem from a long history where the story was written by family entrepreneurs and the times in which they lived. Three generations of Axel Johnson went before – men who were consumed by the work of creation and change – entrepreneurs, industrialists, internationalists! They were farsighted, independent and persistent. The companies within the Axel Johnson Group came to be characterized by an urge to experiment and power to develop. The long-term approach and a strong belief in the ability and enthusiasm of people was passed down through the generations. With this tradition under our belt, we now meet the 21st century.
Today I often ask younger colleagues what Axel Johnson means to them. “Difficult to put your finger on it” is often their first reaction. But the same keywords always emerge in the subsequent conversation. “Family company” – with an involved and visible owner is the main common denominator. This is not surprising since our history has now reached the fourth and fifth generations of family entrepreneurs.
A “long-term approach” is often the next comment. A natural consequence of an expressed perseverance and willingness to
build, develop and transform operations and businesses. No casual moves this way or that – every avenue must be explored.
A “Values-driven leadership” is mentioned next. This originates from the many meetings with customers that take place every day in all our businesses. More than a million in all! Through these encounters, where we sell goods and services, we inevitably influence our customers’ everyday lives. And it is we who are responsible for ensuring that what we sell is of the absolute highest quality. That we can vouch for ethical content. That we do business in an environmentally correct and sustainable manner. That we think innovatively and challenge traditional and outmoded ideas – technically and in the marketplace. That we understand that the company and all its people are a dynamic force that affects and changes the very fabric of society over the long term. That we decide that this dynamic force will be a positive one that is useful and brings pleasure. This approach of placing customers – and our suppliers and partners – at the focal point of business events, basing our approach on their preferences and expectations, is deeply entrenched in our culture as a trading company and in our management style.
Perhaps these three dimensions in the Axel Johnson culture are connected – the family company, long-term approach and values-driven leadership. Perhaps they are uncompromising prerequisites for each other. They function for us. They give us a strong power to develop, and a healthy, intellectual and anticipatory attitude to our business operations. And not least, they generate profitable deals."
