Kiilto’s growth is the result of courage, desire and ability to renew
For many, stability means that things remain the same, unchanged. At Kiilto, a multi-sector company that has been in the business for over 100 years, stable success is an enabler of growth, an engine of renewal and a springboard for innovations.
Kiilto, founded in Finland and operating today in 11 countries, isn’t planning on staying put in the future either: its vision is looking ahead to 2080, while the goal of carbon neutral Kiilto will be achieved much closer in the future, by 2028.
“Steady growth means that we’re able to invest in innovation, continuous development of personnel skills and sustainability of our operations," says Ina Johansson, Kiilto’s HR Business Partner in Scandinavia.
Ina Johansson, HR Business Partner
Kiilto ranked among the most successful and the biggest growth companies
Over the past three years, Kiilto has been one of the two per cent of limited liability companies in Finland that have increased their annual turnover by more than 10 percentage points faster than the average for their main industry category*. In 2020, Kiilto's net sales grew by 32 percent.
However, at Kiilto growth is not a momentary sprint. Proof of the long-term success is Kiilto’s position in Kauppalehti's success rating, both among all Finnish companies and among the best companies in its own industry for the last ten years. Companies that have achieved a combination of growth and longer-term success in recent years only include less than 1 percent in Finland.
Kiilto's long-term success isn’t recognized only in Finland. Furthermore, in Sweden Kiilto AB has been awarded with AAA Diamond Diploma for the highest credit rating for the last 20 years, in Denmark Kiilto was awarded the certification Socially responsible 2020 by Assens Municipality for being a company to take on extra social responsibility, and according to a survey conducted earlier this year in Norway, Kiilto’s local professional hygiene brand Antibac is a familiar brand to as many as 93 percent of Norwegians.
"Behind such numbers are long-term vision and relations, stability, trust and responsibility: towards our customers, partners as well as employees. We have a solid history looking back in the mirror, and a bright future ahead of us," Johan Engwall, Managing Director of Kiilto AB, backgrounds the achievements.
Johan Engwall, Managing Director of Kiilto AB
Growth is a joint effort and a state of mind
How does the everyday work look like in a sustainable growth company? Ideas and initiatives are systematically collected, and every Kiiltonian can participate in comprehensive business development, for example through internal Kiilto UP innovation competitions. Kiilto UP is currently gathering ideas for how to develop new service business concepts to help Kiilto’s customers succeed. Previously, Kiilto UP has been a stepping stone for many new products and solutions, for example in consumer goods business area, the Erisan+ natural cosmetics series containing prebiotics.
Read more: Kiilto’s innovation programme created new business
"Kiiltonians are encouraged to take a role in renewal and development, both as individuals and together. We create opportunities for agile experimentation, and failures are treated as learning experiences. Success is only born from daring to try something new together. Every employee must feel that they genuinely have the opportunity to make a difference, in order to move forward,” Johansson explains.
Growth alone does not motivate, goals have to inspire
According to the personnel survey, Kiiltonians perceive the company's objectives important: in recent survey 92 percent of Kiiltonians considered the company's operating principles and goals to be either quite or very positive. Growth is not an end in itself, but a means of achieving shared goals.
"Growth requires meaningful objectives that employees want to commit to. In particular, Our Promise to the Environment is something that inspires us all and we are genuinely proud of," Ina Johansson says.
Watch Kiiltonians share their thoughts on Kiilto's Promise to the Environment
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* The data are based on Alma Talent Information Services and Kauppalehti's 2020 list of Finnish limited liability companies. The success of companies is scored in their own size category, compared to both all companies in Alma Talent's database and other companies in the industry. The result applies to the Kiilto Family Group as a whole. In the listing, Kiilto achieved both the Growth Company and the 10-Year Long-Term Enduring Achiever recognitions. The Growth Company certificate is issued to two per cent of Finnish limited liability companies. The properties of the company that dictated the successful certificate include well-established operations, stable growth development, good performance and profitability, a strong financial structure and liquidity that secures continuous operations. The 10-Year Long-Term Enduring Achiever recognition 2012–2021 ratings are based on financial years 2011/06–2021/05.
Kiilto is a family-owned company from Finland, with over a hundred-year history and a vision looking ahead to 2080. Kiilto develops, produces and markets chemical industry solutions in four business areas: construction, industrial adhesives and fireproofing, professional hygiene, and consumer goods. The key principles underlying Kiilto’s operations are environmental leadership, closeness, and commitment to the future. They operate in 11 countries and employ nearly 1000 people. In 2020 group's net sales amounted to 294 M€.
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