By applying unique engineering heritage, SAMP Group has been creating engineering solutions. Founded in 1936, its beginning was marked with the start of a small workshop for the production of wire machinery. The group along with its assets was acquired by Switzerland-based HVD Partners in 2021. In an exclusive interaction with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Jouni Kalervo Heinonen, its Chairman of the Board, discusses the company’s latest innovation, trends and integration of ESG, to mention some.
Wire & Cable India: In 2021, SAMP Group changed hands. Share with us how much the company has changed since then.
Jouni Kalervo Heinonen: In the new ownership, there are 10 investors. We are a holding company which owns the operative companies in Italy, China, Brazil and the US. SAMP Group implemented rapid performance improvement measures since the transfer of ownership to HVD Partners in October 2021. These include a revitalization of leadership, implementation of enterprise IT and operational improvements, and rebranding of the company.
Customers have reaffirmed their confidence in SAMP’s new owners and managers. Changes initiated by the board and management have contributed to a rapid improvement of our financial performance.
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CI: What’s your vision, and to what direction/s do you intend to take the company?
JKH: We have two strategic goals. Firstly, we want to be the one-stop-shop for the wire & cable industry. We continue to deliver superior technology to boost productivity and performance, carefully designed and constructed to meet customers expectations. We also want to add more products. Secondly, we want to be an excellent service provider. So we are developing our spare parts sales now, after some difficulties we have faced. Then, of course, revamping, modification of production lines. So these two support each other. We understand our clients’ need to deliver production uptime, increase performance, and ensure low maintenance cost.
“We are committed to fostering a company culture that seeks diversity, embodies inclusion, and promotes belonging in our core values. So we source responsibly and expect our suppliers and business partners to uphold our values and our commitment to ethics, health and safety, and human rights.”
WCI: How do you view the India market, and what kind of plans and strategy do you have in place?
JKH: We had been regularly visiting India to convert the potential leads. Today we have a company, and have been very busy restructuring it. The company is growing very strongly. We have added rotating machines from Pourtier to our product line. I’m fully aware that the Indian market is booming. As the Indian market offers a lot of prospects, we have more plans in place. So we are going to study the market very carefully. However, at this point of time I cannot say much about our India plans, but we would definitely like to participate in the growth story.
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WCI: Please share with us some of the new developments and trends.
JKH: It’s very clear that, especially in energy cables, sizes are increasing. We have seen extrusion line payoffs and takeoffs are getting bigger and bigger. So everything to handle the cable is becoming bigger. The other very clear trend is the amount of aluminium used for cables increasing rapidly. We see that everywhere. We see it in power cables, we see it in automotive cables etc. This, of course, gives some challenges, especially on the metallurgical side, in drawing and annealing.
The third one, obviously, is the green waves. So we have to think about how to reduce energy consumption of our lines and our products, and we have some new things coming up, especially in energy saving and annealing. With new technology, we are able to reduce energy consumption by about 15 to 20 percent.
“At this point of time I cannot say much about our India plans, but we would definitely like to participate in the growth story.”
WCI: ESG is a must for every business. What’s your take?
JKH: ESG is a very important element in our strategy. I think we are there. We aim to create a more connected, responsible, and sustainable world for all. As a global group, we have a responsibility to make a positive, meaningful impact in the industries we serve and to the communities in which we operate.
We are committed to limiting our environmental footprint while optimizing the impact of our products and services. At our Italy-based sites, fully covered by solar panels to our R&D-focused on designing more energy-efficient machines, we aim to improve energy efficiency efforts. We are committed to fostering a company culture that seeks diversity, embodies inclusion, and promotes belonging in our core values. So we source responsibly and expect our suppliers and business partners to uphold our values and our commitment to ethics, health and safety, and human rights. Lastly, for us, good corporate governance is the foundation for our decision-making processes and defines the compass to SAMP’s success. We apply an active “entrepreneurial governance” approach, with a focus on value creation and with a commitment to the long-term success of SAMP.
