GLENN NYMAN – 25 years at Ponsse

Glenn Nyman has worked at Ponsse for a quarter of a century, and not one day has been the same. This 59-year-old expert in financial administration says that although many things have changed over the years, many things have stayed the same.

It was 1996, when Ponsse Ab in Sweden was recruiting a financial officer for their Västerås organisation. Glenn Nyman saw the posting and decided to apply. Following an interview with the president, the position was Nyman’s.

The tasks and work in the 90s were very different from today. The accounting software, which Nyman acquired for the still small Ponsse AB, was managed manually. Invoices were created with a word processor, and warehouse accounting was done with pen and paper. There was a total of about 10 employees, and the company sold the same number of machines per year. According to Glenn, it was an exciting and fast-paced time.

Today, Ponsse AB has a total of 68 employees. Nyman says that the company today is very different from its founding years.

FAST-PACED EARLY YEARS

At the turn of the millennium, financial administration had a lot to do, and there were constant changes in the operation. It was normal for computers to crash every now and then, which caused no end of grey hairs for Glenn, the financial officer. In the fast pace of the early years, Ponsse AB went through personnel changes, because the operating model was not yet complete.

Nyman has spent most of his career in financial administration. Over the years, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge. Information moves faster, through various channels, and everything requires a quicker reaction. “The amount of information is massive, and people are expected to react to everything very quickly. The way we work is very different from the early years.”

Nyman says that there have been many good and many challenging times over the 25 years. The operation has expanded and, as the years have gone by, Ponsse’s position as one of the world’s leading forestry machines has solidified. “The machines have developed in leaps and bounds. I think the changes have been massive! High quality is still required for the machines to withstand the work, which is very hard. Our machines are developed with feedback from our customers. Operator comfort and the cabin have been given a great deal of attention.”

CUSTOMER FOCUS STILL DRIVING FORCE

There is one thing, Nyman says, that has not changed in the past 25 years: Ponsse’s focus on the customer. “Focusing on the customer has been clear since Einari’s time. That is something that has not changed in all these years.”

“At a point when the company was growing rapidly, I was afraid we could lose sight of the customer, as that has happened to many a large company. Many of our customers told me, when talking about large companies, that they weren’t being considered or listened to. I hoped that we wouldn’t end up in the same situation. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.”

“I think it’s impressive that our company’s management still meets with customers when visiting Sweden. Customers continue to be welcome at our events, which makes them feel important. They feel like they’re being listened to. In a large, international company, this is fairly rare.”

“I believe the secret to our growth is listening to our customers, which is a strong guiding force in our business.”

EVERY WORKDAY IS DIFFERENT

The Ponsse spirit, which is, believe it or not, the same around the world, is an indication of the company’s early legacy. Nyman believes that this is still a guiding force, and that Einari’s legacy is being upheld in an exemplary manner. “We focus on the future, without forgetting Einari’s hopes and way of thinking. I think that’s fantastic.”

When Nyman is asked for the most memorable moments of his career, he mentions the entire Ponsse network’s cruise to Estonia. “This particular year, we went on a 24-hour cruise to Estonia with our customers and employees from around the world. We had reserved the whole ship and had our machines presented on the deck. It was such a fantastic trip that I still remember it!”

Currently, Glenn works with warranty matters. “Not one workday is the same, and I like that. The colleagues around me are skilled, and everything gets done,” he says.

When Nyman is asked for something he would like to say to new Ponsse people, he mentions the atmosphere and the freedom: “The atmosphere here is good, and you can work freely. There’s a lot to do, but it’s all possible as long as you do your own tasks.”

“LIFE IS HERE AND NOW”

Nyman has had the opportunity to see the world and travel for work to Ponsse subsidiaries in Finland, China, Brazil and Uruguay. That is something he is very grateful for.

Today, Glenn’s thought is that life is here, and now. Time passes quickly and the years go by. Remote work also gives freedom and opportunities for Glenn, as he can work from anywhere in the world when he needs to. Nyman says: “Life is here and now. There’s a lot I have seen, and there’s still much more to see.”