Install continues to look forward despite the coronavirus pandemic 

Install is a northern and down-to-earth company with about 90 employees. The company offers comprehensive solutions in electrical engineering as well as communication, data, fiber and telecom installations. The company culture is based on common sense and a heart that beats extra for Norrland and the companies that are there. Something that becomes even stronger during the ongoing crisis linked to Covid-19.

Åsa Zetterberg, Director of the Swedish Association of IT & Telecom Companies and Jan Fransson, CEO and founder of Install, had a conversation about why values are crucial for growth, the importance of having clear plans for the future despite times of crisis and how the spirit of Norrland is helping right now.

Åsa: How have you been affected by the coronavirus pandemic?
Jan: No one is unaffected by what is happening now. So even if the company as a whole has not been affected to any great extent, we have of course been affected. Of course, we have had higher sick leave, but not so much that it has affected our assignments. At the same time, we see a difference in our two businesses - when it comes to the electricity side, we have not noticed much, while customers on the fiber side have been more cautious. That business is a little more seasonal than the electricity business, so now it's starting to show a little more signs of life.

Åsa: How are you keeping the right focus despite the crisis right now?
Jan: We have offices in several places, in Piteå, Luleå, Skellefteå and Örnsköldsvik. I send out a letter to all employees once a week. In the first letter, I was quite clear about what a crisis can mean and what can happen. This caused some concern, as we must not forget that many staff are young and have never experienced a crisis. Now I'm clear about how it affects us and that we have not been affected to the same extent as many others, which I hope reassures. But we usually talk about common sense guiding us. This is also true when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic - we need to think sensibly. That we don't get too scared or that we don't take it too lightly. But of course, we have jobs and that helps a lot.

Åsa: have you used any of the packages of measures presented by the government?
Jan: As I said, we have gotten off rather lightly. We have had to make short-term layoffs in one office. Then we have been able to let fiber technicians support on the electrical side, which has been good. In general, I think that the action packages have been powerful. It has benefited everyone, it creates some peace. It is also clear that the fighting has been put aside to focus on saving the country. That feels good.

Åsa: Do you see any bright spots despite the ongoing crisis?
Jan: Yes, for us, teleworking has actually made things easier. We save time as we do not have to travel to meetings, it can save several hours during a day. We were well prepared technically for teleworking, but the crisis meant that we quickly started using it. So the implementation was probably faster now than we would have managed otherwise. Common sense will also apply here - we will certainly not completely replace physical meetings with digital ones, but there will be a few more meetings using technology.

Åsa: What are your plans for the longer term?
Jan: Install is based on strong local ownership with key people. Today we are six companies and we have full focus on Norrland. Our goal is to be present on half of Sweden's surface, something we are quite close to now! However, we do not have growth as a stated goal. But if there is room in the local market, combined with finding the right people who share our values, we know that we will succeed in creating both growth and positive results. As long as the people share our guiding principles - commitment, trust, respect and responsibility - they are largely free to build the business according to local conditions. Then we provide central support when needed.

For 2020, we set high goals and in doing so, we decided to build the company forward with partners. We spent time finding the right friends and the idea is to make us more flexible reducing the risk of long and sluggish processes. It has also made it easier for us now during the corona pandemic as we have been able to focus on bringing key competencies in-house while being flexible in our staffing.

Asa: Any final words?
Jan: We have grown well since the start in 2016. Then it is much more uncertain in the fall than it usually is, but I am convinced that it is in crisis that you develop. And we in Norrland have always had to fight, that's why we are so good up here!