The production of agricultural and construction vehicles were well established by the time the first Volvo car, affectionately known as Jacob, rolled off the production line back on the 14th of April 1927. Trucks followed closely behind and the LV series 1 was launched in 1928. The introduction of bus and marine engine production completed an impressive portfolio.
The present is of course a different kettle of fish and many issues and challenges face the industry. Volvo have always been at the forefront of safety development with innovations such as crumple zones and side impact protection, but now each and every one of us face a much larger dilemma – protecting our environment. With governments putting more and more emphasis on this subject, Volvo and the industry at large is obliged to make massive ongoing investments in the research and development of cleaner, more reliable and longer lasting engines and components for future generations whilst at the same time, protecting an impeccable reputa- tion that has taken more than a century to establish.
It is my belief the advantage Volvo has over other businesses is the investment they make in people, employing approximately twenty thousand staff worldwide. I joined the company in June 2010 as a warehouse operative on a temporary basis and was given the opportunity of full time employment three months later, which I grasped whole heartedly. It is my experiences and thoughts since then that have prompted this article. It will come as no surprise, given their history, that Volvo place great emphasis on health and safety in the workplace and to this end have achieved a gold stan- dard award consecutively in 2010 and 2011, the highest accolade achievable from ROSPA. However, their philosophy runs deeper than this. There is a mutual respect between employer and em- ployee that sub consciously or consciously instils a willingness to do well for the common good of the company from both parties –
a phenomenon I have not seen to such an extent with any other employer.
It is also refreshing to see ambition actively encouraged from within without prejudice. Hard work is rewarded internally as opposed to the graduate culture of promotion adopted by so many other companies and possibly the reason many Volvo employees have such long uninterrupted service records.
In conclusion it seems appropriate to say what a friendly and pleasant working atmosphere we enjoy, even when under pressure, with everyone from upper management to the shop floor working towards a common goal, adopting a friendly classless environment for us all. Long may it continue.
It seems ironic that having harped on about the historic, the present and the future that I am now able to combine a little Latin with a touch of urban culture to proclaim, “that’s the way I roll”.
Just three words...
RELIABLE. DEPENDABLE. SAFE.
“that’s the way I roll THE VOICE PAGE 39
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