The best products can only be created by using the best raw materials. And superior quality over time can only be created in long-term collaborations between people. Great cooperation is built on mutual trust, openness and respect – something which Tervakoski Film and its polymer supplier Borealis have cultivated since the mid-80s.
Only the highest-quality polypropylene granules are used in Tervakoski Film’s products. Therefore, Tervakoski Film collaborates with Borealis, a world-leader in advanced polyolefin solutions that celebrates 60 years of knowledge in the energy business this year. Borealis’ resins meet the highest standards of cleanliness (something, which is essential for the electric properties of dielectric films) and they consistently maintain their high quality over years and decades.
“Reliability is important for our products and therefore also in our collaboration with Borealis. High quality does not only mean quality of a single delivery, but stable quality over the years. Reliability also comes from the stability of our supplier’s service and their team. Naturally, people change over time in a team, but at Borealis, the team’s knowledge is stable, and thanks to that we can grow together”, says Ondrej Jačanin, Manager, Base-film Production at Tervakoski Film.
Always good to put yourself in the shoes of others
Wolfram Stadlbauer, Business Growth Manager, Energy Storage at Borealis, has been working with Tervakoski Film since 2013. He agrees with Ondrej that reliability is important for a good business relationship or, indeed, any relationship.
“Personal contacts have always been very important for me in my work, and mutual trust, openness and respect are key factors in all relationships. Even though we act as representatives of our companies, we are all human beings. In general, it is always good to put yourself in the shoes of others to understand their needs and perspectives”, says Wolfram.
An open and short feedback loop
Wolfram and Ondrej both describe the relationship between Tervakoski Film and Borealis as professional, personal, friendly and open. Openness, in particular, is something they both value highly:
“We have an open and short feedback loop, so if there ever is a problem, we openly communicate about it and are all willing to solve the problem together and learn from it. There is a long-term perspective to our cooperation. We are not merely looking at the next month, quarter or year – we all want to work together as long as possible”, Wolfram explains.
Open collaboration is not only reactive problem solving, but proactive joint development. The benefits of Tervakoski Film and Borealis’ collaboration can, for instance, be seen in tailor-made solutions, which have a visible effect on the end products. Tervakoski Film extensively tests its films in capacitors in its own laboratory. The feedback on the raw materials is shared with Borealis, who is also well known for its innovation capabilities and who uses the information to further refine its own products. By combining their shared knowledge with market feedback from the most demanding capacitor applications both companies can develop and grow.
Regular in-person meetings important for the team spirit
Open communication is important on all levels of a company. Tervakoski Film and Borealis have built close relationships in every touch point of their cooperation. There is a very good team spirit between everyone involved, which is maintained not only by frequent calls and emails, but also in regular in-person meetings.
“One to two times a year, we meet in person to discuss professional matters, of course, but also things that are not directly related to our jobs. This is very important”, says Ondrej.