In 2013, the Finnish lighting solutions provider Greenled pulled a stunt that amazed many. The company moved its entire production from the Far East to Finland at a time when many were doing just the opposite.
“The trip to Asia was a worthwhile experiment because it taught us what is most important: customer-oriented, domestic, sustainable manufacturing and products,” said Pertti Tahvanainen, CEO of Greenled. “We have never regretted bringing production back to Finland.“
Greenled supplies its customers with luminaires and their control systems, i.e. light. This seemingly simple issue has been thoroughly investigated by the company, and surprisingly much more has been discovered about lighting than first meets the eye.
“We started talking about people-centred lighting years ago,” said Pertti Tahvanainen. “Machines don’t need light. But people do.“
According to Tahvanainen, various studies have consistently found that light is the biggest factor affecting people’s energy and well-being. Next comes heat, and thirdly, factors that affect the auditory sense, namely sounds.
“There must be enough light, and it must be of good quality. Light quality is affected by the colour temperature, the light’s uniformity, its correct directionality, and many other factors. There is a one-degree tolerance on the colour temperature of office lighting, for example, as temperatures below 20 degrees are too cold and those above 21 are too warm. These are completely universal figures,” says Tahvanainen. “When it comes to sound, it is clear that echoing and noisy open plan offices are a bad solution. In production, where noise is unavoidable, efforts must be made to reduce echo and to create pleasant sound environments, for example by combining acoustic and loudspeaker solutions.“
Since Greenled produces well-being solutions for its clients, the company also wants to do the same for its own employees. The new production facilities at Oritkari in Oulu were designed with high quality working environment factors in mind from the very beginning.
“There is a huge range of acoustic products available,” says Pertti Tahvanainen. “But many of the materials used in them contain dusty or allergenic raw materials, potential moisture traps, or other indoor air pollutants. Ewona, with its fully dust-free and allergy-free solutions, was not the cheapest option, but what does one day of sick leave cost? I didn’t need to think about that decision any further than that.“
Tahvanainen also points out that today, corporate responsibility and sustainability are issues that must influence all business management. “Taking these into account, Ewona was the most responsible choice in line with our values.“