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Family affair

09 November 2012

I was recently lucky enough to visit Turin as a guest of relay specialist, Finder. Apart from the excitement of being in the city where 'The Italian Job' was filmed (yes, i did manage to refrain from doing bad Michael Caine impressions, although it did take some effort), the lasting impression I have of the visit is undoubtedly the 'family' ethos that lies behind Finder.

OK, I know that the notion of the Italian family can be somewhat cliched, but visiting the company's headquarters and extensive manufacturing facilities just north of the city in Almese, it becomes clear just how fundamental it is to the success of the company. There is genuine pride that the business is still owned and run by the family of founder, Piero Giordanino. Walking round the facility, there seems to be a respect amongst the whole workforce that runs deeper than a simple employer/employee relationship.

I think that when family owned and run businesses are referred to in the UK, the image that springs to mind can be small and colloquial and this simply does not have to be the case. Finder, for example, has additional production plants in Sanfront near Cuneo, north-west Italy, in Saint Jean de Maurienne, south-east France and in Valencia, Spain.

Although I may be looking at the situation through rose tinted glasses – after all, I can't speak Italian and the workers may have been constantly moaning for all I know – it did make me think that perhaps many UK businesses could learn something from Finder and its family values.

 
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