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Teijo Tiainen has worked in the gardening and landscaping industry for many years. He applied for the job at InnoGreen almost seven years ago after noticing that the company differed from others in the industry.
“InnoGreen was the most attractive employer. When I started working here and got to know the others, I noticed how professional everyone was and that there was something special about this company. InnoGreen is a trendsetter,” says Tiainen, describing his first moments at InnoGreen. Tiainen says the company’s continuous development, sense of progress, genuine desire to develop the industry and, of course, the great people made him want to stay. The work exceeded his expectations.
Tiainen worked in the installation team for more than six years and then applied for the vacant position of installation supervisor. Tiainen felt that he knew the job and the team inside out and that it was time to take a step forward. The transition from colleague to supervisor has gone well, as InnoGreen has a low hierarchy. The installation team trusted Tiainen and the collaboration has continued seamlessly. To support people in new positions, InnoGreen offers schooling resulting in a professional supervisor qualification, which Tiainen is currently completing alongside his work.
Tiainen’s job is to organise and plan the installation work to ensure that the team’s everyday life is uncomplicated and smooth. He also manages customer contacts and makes sure that the warehouse has everything needed for deliveries. Tiainen also leads his team by example and always participates in the installation work whenever possible. In addition Tiainen is responsible for training new team members and helping them get started.
Tiainen describes the role of installation as “an extension of the sales team”.
“We are sort of in between sales and service. Our main task is to make plans come true, we are part of the creative process. We are responsible for the customer’s first experience of the implementation and it has to be spot on. In addition, if there are any surprises on site, we communicate them to sales and service. It’s also common for sales to consult us when making quotes to ensure that schedules are met and plans are feasible,” Tiainen says.
Installation requires time and care
The installation process begins when the products ordered by the customer arrive at the warehouse. The products are checked, waterproofed, cleaned and prepared for delivery. Plants are bagged and planted and moss installations are prepared as far as possible.
The installation team collects, packs and delivers all plants, moss, pots, walls and dividers to the site at the agreed time. Each delivery is carefully planned and scheduled to ensure that the installation and product placement goes off without surprises and with minimal disruption to the client’s premises.
More challenging sites require technology, cranes and special attention to safety. A high wall cannot be installed by crane in a crowded space filled with people, so some deliveries are made at night. In addition to the equipment, the supervisor is responsible for taking care of his team - a tired installer should not be working high up by the ceiling.
In addition to selling plants and pots, InnoGreen rents its products. When the rented plants and products are returned to the warehouse, Tiainen and his team go through all the products. Products in good condition are cleaned and maintained for reuse, while parts and plants that are in poor condition and have reached the end of their life cycle are recycled.
Tiainen’s speech often echoes precision and care. Installation is certainly not suitable for a “whatever” type of person. Tiainen describes punctuality, flexibility and service-mindedness as the most important qualities of an installer. Not forgetting social skills, of course, because installation is not a lonely job. He describes the work of an installer as first and foremost a service job.
“Our installers may be the first InnoGreen employees that a customer meets in person. Our most important job is to make our customers’ wishes come true and even if we are sometimes in a hurry, we make sure that every job is carefully done from start to finish.”
Tiainen says the most inspiring projects are those that involve a wide range of products, custom installations and green walls. One square metre of InnoGreen’s green wall contains up to 40 real plants and a large wall can contain dozens of different plant species. The plants are placed in their final positions on the wall at the client’s premises, which requires not only precision but also a visual eye to ensure that the wall is beautifully three-dimensional and lush.
Every day and week is different for the installation team. The most rewarding moments are those when the installation team plans a big implementation together and gets to work on a wide range of green solutions.
“There’s never a week where it feels like the work is repeating itself. Some people might like a steady office job, but I get more out of this myself. Even though the work is varied, you can still fit it into the rest of your life.” Tiainen describes, “It gives me a good feeling when we work as a team to make a successful installation. It feels great when, at the end of a big project, we get to take a picture for the salesperson to show that we’re done.”
