Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541612
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 31 focus on sustainability, I was not surprised to see that their workstations accommodated industrial scaled glueing or epoxying—workstations designed to be used without masks or protective respiratory equipment. Instead, enclosures allow for efficient chemical workflow that actually exceeds government regulations with regard to air quality and safety. I'm sure the reason they exceed the regulations is because they genuinely care about their workers and want them to be safe by not just doing the minimum. I surmise they asked themselves, "How do we do this and make it very safe, comfortable, and joyful?" I actually "geeked" out about glueing stations—and that is not something I expected to happen. I really got a sense that the people developing, assembling, calibrating, and testing were actually into these products. Seems like kind of a dream job to help build some products you admire. COO Piia-Riitta Bergman confirmed this. "[We're] bringing that customer information and knowledge also to the production. Because many of the workers, they know a really large area of the work, they understand how our speakers are used, and what the customers value. So that brings them also the confidence and commitment to work." I wasn't there to judge them and their workplace culture, but it is something I'm passionate about and would notice, so I took note of how it was represented. Finland is the happiest country on Earth. That is not hyperbole. They were voted happiest country for eight years in a row by the World Happiness Report. And Genelec seems to be at the happiest company in Finland. Maybe they're the first or second happiest company in Iisalmi! But there is tough competition because the company next door is a brewery named Olvi! [Speakers vs. Beer—quite the Sophie's Choice.] This is where the company brass took my wife and I to lunch and we had wonderful conversations about Finland, our wedding, our pup, sound and filmmaking. When we went back to the factory for more touring, I noticed a smaller workforce. We visited during a time in summer just after Juhannus (midsummer). The whole month of July is the most popular time to take a holiday. So, even though the worker count was lower, the factory floor was still bustling. But the employees I had the opportunity to interface with all seemed very pleased working at a nice, relaxed pace. I would prefer that any product I use be made by the folks building it, who might never break a sweat. Everything seemed to just flow and at a rhythm that is very familiar to how I enjoy and admire any workflow. THE TOOLS AND USER BASE Genelec is known for their renowned speaker hardware. That said, they have invested substantial time and resources to their software tools as well. Software tools that ensure their hardware tools are used with the upmost effectivity. For a deeper dive on this, Siamak Naghian shares: "If you look at the basic purpose of the products on the systems that Genelec CEO Siamak Naghian Genelec COO Piia-Riitta Bergman