It has been a long journey for Christian and Axelent. Long and exciting, according to Christian.
“We have participated in product development seminars, presented ideas and market analyses. In 1994, we had the notion that the market was moving towards machinery safety”. Axelent did not have any products in that segment at the time, the first came in 1996. It was very exciting to be a part of developing that. A lot of the competitors back then were local forgeries, they were making super strong poles and panels. Easyguard, Axelent’s first product in the segment, was very lightweight. Since then, the entire range has become lightweight, but Easyguard was really at the forefront.
Christian’s team got involved in product development; they generated ideas and pushed the management forward.
“It has been very exciting to watch the company move forward at such a tremendous pace... For a few years, growth was at 25 percent, which was fantastic”.
The biggest professional challenge for Christian over the years has been striving towards and achieving growth. Since 2000, Axelent in France has increased its sales from 1.8 million Euro to 10.5 million Euro and, thanks to its hard work, now holds a market-leading position.
“In 2008, we overtook our biggest competitor, and we have been the leading player in the market ever since. It is a challenge to find the energy, year after year, to maintain that position. And finding niche markets. We need to listen carefully to every potential customer and have a broad product range to offer the end customer. We have really had to learn what you need to do when you are the market leader and how to achieve increased growth”, says Christian.
Every year, they set new goals and try to figure out what tools they will need to get there.
“When I first started working, I was sitting in my parents’ attic. Then I moved to a warehouse we rented in Le Havre. In 2001, we built our own warehouse for the first time. In 2015, we built new premises that could accommodate at least 20 people. Milestones like that have meant a lot”.
Christian says they have now designated an employee as the Happyness Manager, responsible for ensuring everyone is happy in the workplace, so that they can have more open lines of communication with the employees.
“When people leave the company, you have to hire new employees, find a strategy for the future and the resources to keep everyone motivated. As the company grows, you face a difficult challenge – how to preserve the soul of the company while implementing new ideas and taking new paths forward”.
The company is much bigger now than it was 15 years ago, and the workforce has changed, he says. There is a bigger age gap and people have been with us for a long time.
“We have a core group of four or five people who have worked together for 20 years or longer. Within this core group, we have shared happiness and grief, loved ones have passed away, children have been born, people have married… We know so much about each other. Others have been here for six months and don’t have such a long history here.
How do you sync with them? We want to improve communication, listen to people’s expectations and wishes. The younger generation cares about more than just salary – they want to take ownership of projects and play a role in the company’s path forward”. In considering the events that have stood out the most over the years, Christian mentions the first time he met Folke and was introduced to Axelent, when Christian’s distribution was merged with Axelent in 1999 and the launch of X-Guard.
“On a personal level, I was really affected when Folke died. Folke was a tremendous humanist, gave very good advice and encouraged people. He was my mentor and we had tremendous respect for one another”.
