Innovation driven by trustworthy and dedicated people

When Lars Lauridsen started Wila more than 20 years ago, he had a clear mission. He wanted to create a business for people. Throughout his career, he had seen how some employers did not treat the people who slaved every day for the company decently. That was something he wanted to change.

Since then Wila has grown, but the foundation stands stronger than ever before. Therefore, the company comes out with its payoff. ’Innovation driven by people’, when they meet customers at home and abroad.

“Everything we do begins and ends with people, and we attach equal importance to employees, suppliers, and customers. It is an equilateral triangle,” says Ilhami Alici, CEO at Wila.

Innovation on all levels

It is evident that it takes more than people to run a business. It is necessary that what the employees deliver is a strong product. For Wila it is not only about the stainless steel quality products for the food and medical industries. It is all about one important key word: Innovation.

“Wila will always be driven by innovation. It is in our culture and DNA and is necessary for us to continue developing. The employees are used to think creativity and new thinking into everything they do. Their input is always appreciated and, in our sales department, we pick up the employees’ ideas and compare them with the market when we go out to talk with our customers. It is all about constant minor improvements to make our customers even more competitive,” Ilhami Alici explains and adds:

”When talking innovation, it is also very much development of new products and processes that makes our customers see Wila as a preferred supplier.”

Professionally proud and passionate people

It is not for just anybody to ensure and run innovation and at the same time maintain Wila’s 98% certainty of supply. It takes trustworthy and dedicated people. Therefore, Wila will always pay attention to finding the right match when recruiting new employees for the company.

“Through many years, Wila has been known as a company displaying decency and honesty. Quality is paramount, and the products are developed by passionate people with a professional pride in their craft which shines through everything they make. Therefore, going to work shall be fun. We invest in providing the employees with the opportunity to display their skills and creativity every day, because this is necessary for our ability to be innovative,” says Ilhami Alici.

The old virtues on the international scene

Wila’s payoff is based on old, Danish virtues. But how does Wila unite the traditions with their new, international go-to-market strategy and an explosive growth? According to Ilhami Alici these things fit very well together, “It is all about building upon success. We are not trying to redefine Wila’s values and DNA but to cultivate them even more and bring them onto the international scene. It has always been important for us that customers, both at home and abroad, may get the sparring with us that they cannot have anywhere else. It is something we can give them because we have gathered all the skilled, human competences in one place. Our guiding principle is to contribute to better available food production worldwide, and we only take people into our company who share that vision,” Ilhami says and maintain:

“The bigger we are, and the more international customers we have, the more important it will be for us to have dedicated and reliable people, who are able to drive the innovation.”