Legrand, a world leader in the manufacturing of products and systems for electrical installations and information networks in terms of sales, has been present in Hungary for close to three decades through its acquisition, in 1992, by way of a privatization deal of the Hungarian Kontakta company, which had been operating in Szentes, SE Hungary since 1961.
The CEO of Legrand Plc., László Károlyi joined the company in 1993, shortly after the privatization document was signed in December 1992 and has worked there ever since. He tells Diplomacy&Trade that “although it is many times justified that a successful privatization deal can indeed have a lot of challenges, if we look at what has happened in the last 30 years to Legrand Hungary, we can say that it was a really successful privatization. We are developing inside of an international group. So, in fact, it was a good blend between the local Hungarian know-how and experience and the multinational activity. We multiplied our turnover, which is now over EUR 90 million.”
The right people
He believes that “the key factor that we realized during the last 30 years is the importance of our staff. These people’s constant engagement has been of primary significance. I am witness to that because I myself have been here throughout this time: first in charge of the industrial area, projects and operations, then of country management for the last 17 years. I have always supported the idea that employment engagement is a real asset for the company. You have teams, you have colleagues with whom you spend more than eight hours a day at times. And if you don't like it, and you do it only for the money, even if you have an extraordinary payroll after a few years, you say goodbye and move away. At the company, we have some people who started working here at the beginning and will go into retirement from here when the time comes. After two-three years of working here, they get to know the place, get to know each other and they stay with us. This is why we have a very low rate of fluctuation. So, I believe that's the real treasure and this is the key of our success.”
Think global and act local
As to what being a member of the Legrand Group means, the CEO says it's not just having the benefits of belonging to a big international company that has subsidiaries in 90 countries and representation in 180 countries but it's rather a two-way issue. “You contribute and they contribute. If a company is trying to spread a central idea among its subsidiaries worldwide, that is not successful formula in my reading. Perhaps, it's working for a short time, but it's not sustainable. It's the cultural diversity that matters. Business is different, people’s thinking and decisions are different. The saying ‘think global and act local’ is very true, the current pandemic pointed this out once again. Why I like to work in the Legrand Group is that it provides a good background, we have their strong support and atmosphere. It is an organization in which we can find the right information and the right orientation on the strategic level. We are living in a world that's changing, sometimes with big surprises like this pandemic. Fortunately, the Legrand Group is being a leader in diversity. I have worked here for almost 29 years – it is a place that has allowed me to develop myself.”
Smart control
Legrand's priority is to innovate and promote smart solutions, which is why it is constantly developing its products beyond the technological needs of the times. “We are specialists in building digital and electrical infrastructure and our motto says ‘Our mission is to improve lives’. On one hand, it means functionalities that are inside the building make people safer, more comfortable, cozier, and more efficient from the energy point of view because improving life needs a global approach. In other words, it means improving lives for our children, the next generations. That is why we must pay attention to efficiency, how we use energy. We live in a digital era and thus, all these new technologies could be integrated in our traditional products, including in-line devices like sockets and switches that allow controlling house energy consumption: switch on or off the lights, let the shutters up and down or control the heating remotely – it’s smart control.” All that is inside a house, but the other area Legrand is active in, electromobility, is not necessarily far from the house, either. As the CEO puts it, charging your car batteries at your house is like having a fuel station at home. “The world is switching to electric cars quickly and Legrand, investing in this field, has developed its own EV charger. So, those are maybe the two most visible things for the consumer market of what Legrand is doing and how Legrand is supporting this digital transformation.”
Preparing for the anniversary
As regards the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the company in Hungary, László Károlyi says they wish to thank their employees, who, as he said earlier, are valuable assets to the firm; to thank their customers who are doing business with Legrand and also to thank to all Hungarian people, their choice to like Legrand products and services. “While saying a few words about the last 30 years, there will be much more emphasis on presenting what is our future. Since Legrand’s mission is ‘improving your life’, we are practically present in the daily life of the people and we want to offer them things that are safe and are attractive to use them as well as energy efficient, things that are interesting, that are answering to their needs. And we have not only a lot of products but also a lot of ideas. So, I ‘m convinced that in the next 30 years, we will have a lot of nice events to hold and Legrand globally, as well as in Hungary, will be as successful as it is now.”
Honorary citizen
Throughout his almost three-decade-long career at Legrand Hungary, László Károlyi has spent a lot of time at the company headquarters in the southeastern Hungarian town of Szentes. He is very proud to say that “although I don’t live there any more, I really appreciated the decision of the local government there in 2020 to honor me with the title ‘Honorary citizen of the town’ for what I did at the company and what the company did for the local community there.”
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