N EW A FFI L I AT E Alfa Mobility Finland leading the pack FIDI Focus meets Tuomo Lindholm, Managing Director, and Ellen Westerholm, Team Lead for Moving Services, at Alfa Mobility Finland, the latest Affiliate from the region. The firm is skilled at dealing with the countrys challenging conditions and is aiming to establish itself as a frontrunner in the business F Ellen Westerholm and Tuomo Lindholm inlands well-organised moving industry features a particularly large number of FIDI-affiliated businesses for the size of the market. The countrys unique character brings unique challenges to movers, too. It is large and sparsely populated, with the Baltic Sea separating much of the country from the rest of Europe, while it has high standards of living and high labour costs, which both make the cost of moving relatively high. Meanwhile, its winters are famously long, dark and cold, with plenty of snow for the companys trucks to navigate. According to the companys Managing Director, Tuomo Lindholm, the implementation of government regulations during the pandemic disrupted traditional high season, which was replaced by rollercoaster demand, while hybrid working across the country speeded up the adoption and acceptance of new technology and tools. This certainly fits with the firms aim to be a frontrunner in the use of moving technology, pioneering its own methods in this area. Focus on sustainability Our countrys ageing population and relatively strong economic position create high demand for international talent 72 Alfa has been leading the digitalisation and technological development of moving services through the development of its own operating system and digital file processing, he says. Meanwhile, in general, the industry has become more expertise driven and quality focused, and in recent years there has been an increasing focus on sustainability, too. Finlands leading international position in making the transition to cleaner, greener ways of doing business is creating good opportunities for international mobility, particularly as industrial investments are increasing. Our countrys ageing population and relatively strong economic position create high demand for international talent, he says. We are the only company in Finland offering international moving, relocation and immigration services under one roof, which allows us to serve a wide range of customers. With values of transparency, plus value and care for our customers, people and the planet, underpinning the companys operations, Alfa Mobility Finland has wellestablished strengths, says Lindholm. We have highly professional staff with a great deal of international experience and we are a diverse and inclusive community, working in three languages on a daily basis, he says. And, in addition to our local resources, we have the support of our larger group that functions all around the Nordics. Ellen Westerholm, the companys Team Lead for Moving Services, adds: As the regional leader in international moving, relocations and immigration, our scale also provides us with a competitive edge. Westerholm says the company committed to getting its FIDI membership to get validation for our highquality and professional moving operations and to be a member of the wider industry community. The process, she says, was demanding, but not overwhelming, because the company has already being working to FAIM requirements for many years, within the framework of the wider Alfa Mobility Group operating model and systems. It was reassuring to see that our ways of working comply with such high standards, she says. The company is now looking forward to adding its voice to those of its Nordic sister companies and its colleagues within the FIDI community. While the global geopolitical environment continues to create uncertainty and rapid change in the regulatory framework, the company knows it will need to continue to work with the same agility learned during the pandemic. The long trend of decreasing individual shipment volumes also seems to be continuing, which will force us to further adapt the scope of our services, adds Lindholm.