An equation – that doesn’t always come out

Production planning of 50 men’s work on 25 modern CNC-machines, 24-hours a day, doesn’t always come out.

At the beginning of 2021, RIVAL had a large order book and looked into the fact that there had been sold 25% more than the normal capacity at the time.

“In a situation like that – and in all other cases – we do everything we can to plan things in the best way possible to ensure the most optimal situation for both the employees’ family life and the company’s finances,” Henrik Holvad says. “However, we are very aware that it is not always possible to find a perfect solution. In principle, we are incredibly lucky, if the tasks, we have in the order book, fit exactly our employees’ skills and a normal working week.”

Strong corps spirit
Thus, there will be times when our employees have to accept that overtime is a necessity. In these periods, it is crucial that our employees are very flexible and think “we” before “I”.

“They know that there can be busy periods, in which they have to work extra hours. On the contrary, we have to accept, as a company, that there are not always enough assignments to fully occupy all of our employees. We are aware of this and we speak openly about it. We are all ready to “take one for the team”, which benefits us all – and not least our customers,” Henrik Holvad says.

Many thanks to our employees
“I hope that most of our customers have experienced that we have complied with our agreements – also in the first months of the year – despite the fact that we have struggled internally to make all the ends meet,” Henrik Holvad says. “Many thanks to all our employees, who have spent most of their Saturdays in both January and February at RIVAL producing components to our customers, rather than taking care of themselves and their families at home.”

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From fist to 5x2x1 meters

The skills cover a wide range at RIVAL, and the company machines a large selection of components in many sizes. Including complicated, large format CNC machining of ton heavy components.

The really big components are machined with precision, in high quality and on time at RIVAL. “As a general rule, we say that we can machine components from the size of a clenched fist up to 5000x2000x1200 mm,” production manager Søren Djursland says.

It matters to the customer
The employees at RIVAL understand that all items, regardless of size and “level of difficulty”, are of great importance to the individual customer. This applies to both a ton heavy item for the wind turbine industry and to an offshore tool of only a few kilos – and whether it is serial productions or one-off productions.

“Our employees always acquaint themselves with what a component will ultimately be used for. It gives us the opportunity to offer the customer inputs on their projects, which can optimise the production and create new angles on solutions,” Søren Djursland says. “We know from experience that our customers appreciate this opportunity, and that is an important benefit of our close partnerships.”

Room for new orders
The order book at RIVAL is currently full, but in the coming months, there are room for new orders. “This applies to our large milling machines in particular,” Søren Djursland says. “Here we can machine components up to 5 meters in all levels of difficulty. We are always ready to enter into closer dialogues with our customers and talk about their specific options.”

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New employees at our unique workplace

2021 has made for a good start. We have recently welcomed four new employees in a time, “where the entire world is shaken to its core,” and several of our colleagues are cutting back.

We are very pleased to welcome Mats, Oscar, Janus and Daniel at our unique workplace.

At RIVAL, we both want to and dare to offer our competencies and opinions – and we respect those, who have different opinions. Everyone takes part in the social community, because it is a valuable foundation for our workplace.

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Societal responsibility

We have a societal obligation to keep the wheels turning in Denmark, and we have are responsible for making sure that we do not carry the infection and pass it on to others.

“Ongoing tests are part of the way to kill the virus. Therefore, we strongly encourage all employees to be tested every two weeks. It is our ambition, that we are not the ones, who carry the infection and pass in on to others. Therefore, we keep our distance and do not gather in groups at RIVAL,” Henrik Holvad says.

Meetings are held on Skype or similar platforms, and the few external guests and service people, who show up, wear face masks and yellow vests, so we pay extra attention to keeping distance.

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Development and growth without weakening quality

At RIVAL, serial production and one-off production of critical and costly components to demanding customers go hand in hand. The two-sided production strategy has turned out to be a good move. However, it must never be at the expense of quality. That places ongoing demands on the internal systems and procedures at RIVAL.

Unique skills, high quality and delivery on time as well as a very special culture have been RIVAL’s qualities for many years. These have in recent years been supplemented with production round the clock – also in large series. At the same time, a new type of employee has been welcomed.

RIVAL will learn from the best
Implementing high-quality serial production, which runs 24 hours a day, is a demanding and very educational process at RIVAL. “We have always made a great effort with what we do,” CEO and owner Henrik Holvad says. “The two-sided production strategy is a very valuable opportunity for our customers as well as for RIVAL. We are aware that it places new demands on us, as we continue to be the guarantor for the customer’s components and deliver exactly, what has been agreed.

To be dressed the best way possible, we look at those, who have succeeded with high-quality serial production 24/7. We have decided to learn from them, and we will do so in close collaboration with our quality coordinator Torben Bech.”

The vision keeps RIVAL on the right track
RIVAL has stated a clear vision:

“RIVAL is recognised by customers with high machining demands
and a professional organisation as a productive supplier,
who dares to take on full responsibility for the customer’s project
and deliver exactly, what has been agreed.”

“Intentionally, we have set the bar high by specifying that we will deliver exactly, what has been agreed. It is the alpha and omega for our customers,” Henrik Holvad says. “This applies to both one-off and serial production and regardless of whether the components are produced during the day, evening or night. It poses challenges, which we can only solve by getting even better control of our processes and procedures. High-quality goals, standard procedures and internal start-up meetings are important prerequisites for us to deliver exactly, what we have agreed with the customer.”

Continuous focus on quality
Many years of experience show that employees with unique skills more often prefer to work during the day. Therefore, there has been made a set-up with a strong machinery at RIVAL, so that the “good old” employees in collaboration with those of the new employees, who work in the evenings and at night, can complete the production 24/7.
It places high demands on processes and procedures to make sure that everything runs as planned 24/7. Therefore, there is a continuous focus on further development of management systems, which is why the work with Torben Bech has been intensified and a new management system 1factory has been implemented. “The new software offers us a very special opportunity to collect and use data actively in our learning. We must learn from both the things that go well and those that do not. Only by doing so, we can become even better,” Henrik Holvad says and continues:

It hurts and costs, when we fail
“Mistakes can’t be avoided, but it hurts our employees, when mistakes happen. They know that mistakes have consequences both to our customers and to RIVAL in terms of reputation and economy.”

But at the same time, RIVAL’s employees have a stubbornness, which means they will do everything they can to make sure the customer does not notice the mistake. But it costs – on the economy, in overtime and in absence from the family.

Positive feedback from customers
The collaborations between RIVAL and the customers are strong and transparent. It is valuable for both parties that both the customer and RIVAL can speak openly about the challenges, they face, and work together to solve them in the best possible way. It works really well in practice.

“We are incredibly proud that our customers commend us for playing an important role in fulfilling their internal KPIs and thus reaching their goals. It shows, that we do many things right,” Henrik Holvad says. “We work daily to make ourselves even better. Processes and procedures, together with our skilled employees, are the crucial factors in this work.”

 

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Long-time sales director steps into the group of owners at RIVAL

At the turn of the year, RIVAL’s sales director Christian Aarup bought a share in the company and stepped into the group of owners at RIVAL, which both Henrik Holvad and the board see as a major asset to the company.

“Christian has been a significant part of our company for a number of years. He has played an important role in relation to development and growth as well as being an important cultural bearer on the internal lines. That is why we are very happy, that we are now bound closer together and can strengthen our partnership for the benefit of our customers and company,” Henrik Holvad says.

Common goal and passion
Henrik Holvad and Christian Aarup step into the new “marriage” with a common goal to continue the positive development at RIVAL in terms of both customers, employees and finances. “We both have a great passion for RIVAL and the value, we create for our customers and employees,” Henrik Holvad says. “Christian is as a really important part of our company, and we have been wanting to link him closer to us. So, when we can do so by fulfilling his wish to go from being an employee to becoming an owner, it’s a win-win,” Henrik Holvad says.

We are great together
Christian Aarup has been part of RIVAL’s board for the past year. The knowledge he has built in the strategic collaboration with Henrik Holvad as both sales director and board member has sharpened his courage and desire to put his own money on the line as co-owner.
“Henrik and I have common ambitions and values, which is an important prerequisite for our successful partnership. We are great together and learn from each other,” Christian Aarup says.

Lifelong learning
An MBA with his own curriculum in building both technical and strategic competencies could be the headline of Christian’s business career. It started in his young years, when Christian was trained as an industrial technician and soon after gained experience as both production manager and salesman. His job as sales director at RIVAL has involved strategic collaborations with the company’s international key customers and business development with Henrik Holvad.
“All of this has helped me get ready to take the next step and become a business owner. I look forward to continuing my learning as part of the ownership group at RIVAL,” Christian Aarup says.

Great asset
In RIVAL’s board, the members are also very pleased that Christian Aarup is now a part of the owner group. Chairman of the board, Bo Schöler, says:
“Christian has been a major asset to RIVAL, since he joined the company in 2012. Over the years, we have benefited from his extensive market knowledge and thorough analyses.

With his professional background, approach and engaged behaviour, he has earned both respect and goodwill from customers, business partners and colleagues.
Christian has played a significant role in the company’s success at demanding national and international markets. I am very pleased that he is now joining the group of owners, and it is a natural culmination of a good collaboration, just as it will undoubtedly create joy among the company’s customers, with whom he has a close working relationship. Our customers attach importance to competence, punctuality and long-term relations. The customers will now be strengthened in their collaboration with RIVAL.”

Balanced agreement
During the past months, the new ownership group has worked to develop a balanced agreement for the new collaboration. There have been many things to consider before the final agreement came into place. “Obviously, it has been an exciting and educative process for us all. We agree that we have landed an agreement that will be sustainable for many years to come,” Henrik Holvad says.

Increased security
The new co-ownership increases the security among RIVAL’s customers, employees and other business partners. They now know that the RIVAL, they know, will continue lasting for many years. “We have gotten a good grip on some exciting and demanding customer groups, to whom we can make a difference with our employees and machinery. We know, they want long-term partnerships with us,” Henrik Holvad says. “Now, we will continue this work together with an expansion of our close relationships. The new agreement is very reassuring for our employees, which has also been an essential part of our common considerations,” he says.

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