It is a good sign when the sound of a bell rings out in Västra Frölunda. The twelve staff members from Uhlmann Nordiska, who are all accom­mo­dated under one roof in the office just south of Gothen­burg, then know that someone has been successful.

The Managing Director of Uhlmann Nordiska, Mats Jirblom, had the idea of hanging up a ship’s bell that is rung when a member of the team has accom­plished some­thing posi­tive of any nature, big or small. “It is a minor thing with a major effect in terms of team spirit. Everyone can share the news with the others by chiming the bell when some­thing is successful. It passes on posi­tive vibes”, is his expla­na­tion.

Well-known names on the customer list

As the coro­n­avirus is currently forcing the colleagues to work from home on the whole, it has become much quieter in the light-colored wood and brick office building. Never­the­less, the team based at our most northerly loca­tion, still has reasons to be pleased with what they have achieved.

The customer list includes reputable names such as Orion Pharma from Finland, AstraZeneca in Sweden and Novo Nordisk in Denmark. Since many customers have closed their doors to visi­tors due to the pandemic, the sales managers from Uhlmann Nordiska have not been able to travel, and services cannot be carried out to the accus­tomed extent. However, even in excep­tional times, the colleagues are sticking to what is essen­tial for success: soli­darity.

Jirblom sees commu­ni­ca­tion between staff members as an Uhlmann Nordiska trait: “The keyword is enjoy­ment. When the colleagues enjoy what they do, their perfor­mance is better. That is the culture we prac­tice here.”

The man from Gothen­burg not only believes in chiming the bell when some­thing has been accom­plished. When everyone turns up for the first coffee break between 9:45 am and 10:00 am, talking about work is taboo. “In the interest of team spirit, it is impor­tant to relax now and again, get to know one another, and report latest news”, says Jirblom. He also prac­tices “Manage­ment by walking around”, as he calls it, for the same reason. He normally walks around a few times a day to chat with the colleagues and see how things are going.

The keyword is enjoy­ment.

Mats Jirblom, Managing Director Uhlmann Nordiska

According to Jirblom, optimum commu­ni­ca­tion is not only impor­tant inter­nally, but is also essen­tial with customers. Conse­quently, he is a big fan of the idea “local for local” – being present where customers are based. “We still focus strongly on Laupheim, but we have to be where the customers are. Then we are able to under­stand how customers tick and can read between the lines”, states Jirblom.

The 52-year-old, who joined Uhlmann in 2012, under­stands German pretty well. He travels to Laupheim once or twice a month. Only when colleagues speak the Swabian dialect is he out of the conver­sa­tion: “They do that when I’m not supposed to under­stand some­thing”, he says with a laugh.

Uhlmann Nordiska in Västra Frölunda

Mats Jirblom actu­ally guides his employees with "Manage­ment by walking around".

The way to the team is through the stomach: Jessica Spenke, After Sales Manager, and Marcus Lages­trand, Sales Manager, at a company picnic.

His colleagues claim that they let him win: Mikael Blom­gren, Sales Manager of Harro Höfliger, at the team event.