With the acquisition of Destia Oy, the Colas Group now has a foothold in Finland. In this country of 188,000 lakes and vast far-northern forest, Destia is a local company with a history that dates back more than 200 years. Founded at the end of the 18th century to develop Finnish infrastructure, it has since become a major player in the sector. Its expertise, mission and values are not unlike those of Colas. “I always say that Colas and Destia are an ideal combination”, explains Tero Kiviniemi, President and CEO of Destia. “We share the same sense of infrastructure and innovation, the same aspiration to connect people and communities, and we both have ambitious objectives in terms of environmental responsibility.” And the business models fit squarely with each other: just like Colas, Destia specializes in transport infrastructure, with a leading position in the road and rail sectors in Finland. The company also has energy and maintenance activities.
Integration and Convergence
Renaud Roussel is in charge of integration and has been overseeing the process with Destia since the start of the talks. “For Colas, it’s a new geography, new communities and a new culture that we need to understand”, he explains. “It’s not just a matter of adding Destia to Colas; we have to get to know each other and build bridges.” The Integration Team, which he and three other members form, is responsible for coordination. In total, they have identified more than 750 actions to be rolled out during the first few months of the convergence. One of the actions that has already been launched is the rebranding of the Destia logo that now includes the tagline: “A Colas company” in order to align them more closely with the Colas Group’s own graphic codes. The harmonization of processes between the two entities, while at the same time taking into account the specificities of the Finnish market, is also underway. The aim is to draw on each other’s strengths and expertise in order to share best practices and know-how. To this end, 15 working groups have been formed, corresponding to the 15 functions of the two companies, ranging from industry through to support functions, including IT, Materials, R&D, etc.
Tandems & Synergies
Destia-Colas expert tandems have been formed and each has a joint action plan to implement. Tero Ristolainen, Materials and Circular Economy Director for Destia, and Florent Van Ghelder, EMEA Quarries & Materials Director at Colas, together form the “Quarries” tandem. “We are both on a learning curve”, says Tero. “Today our goal is to understand the existing situation, so we can build synergies.” Florent confirms this view: “We have a lot to learn from each other. Officially, we have a meeting every two weeks, but Tero and I actually exchange information much more often. And it doesn’t stop with us: our respective teams have met, visited several production sites and are already working together.” In order to track the integration process, a structured reporting system has been put in place to monitor progress in each business line, enabling early identification and management of any issues and risks and thus to coordinate the interfaces between the workshops.
Sharing Know-how and Expertise
Destia will now be supported by a large international group, with a strong innovative force and a wealth of experience in major projects. This opens up development prospects for the Finnish company in Nordic countries, as well as mobility opportunities for its employees. “We can benefit from Colas’ experience in catenary works and Public Private Partnerships (PPP)”, says Mikko Mäkelä, Executive Vice President, Railway Services at Destia. “And Colas can learn from us: we are used to working on single tracks, which are common in Finland, with very short timeframes and with lighter, multipurpose equipment.” Another major strength of Destia is digitalization. Started over 15 years ago, the transition to all-digital has made Destia a pioneer in the industry. Pasi Nurminen, Executive Vice President, Business Support and Development, Destia, reflects on this expertise: “For us, digitalization is a question of productivity and efficiency. Real-time data is a valuable tool, both in and out of the field. It is part of our daily routine.” Over the years, this digital approach has been deployed at all levels of the organization: the company’s and its subcontractors’ machines are now all equipped with very precise 3D guidance systems. In their cabs, excavator drivers can see the 3D design models and the precision of the bucket’s positioning to within a centimeter. Each construction project uses a specific cloud platform that makes the BIM-based design and production data available to all the parties involved: machine drivers, site managers, surveyors, designers, project managers, customers, etc. These platforms bring together a large quantity of as-built data, like measurements, maps, photos or GPS coordinates, aggregated by the systems in the machines or by drones, a tool that has become essential on Finnish worksites. As a result, processes and site monitoring are now entirely digitalized. “The advantages are numerous: less material loss, more safety, fewer people around the machines, etc. There is no point using traditional methods anymore”, continues Pasi. And at the end of a project, Destia is able to provide its clients and the public authorities with an accurate and complete as-built model of the project. One guideline remains during the integration phase: the harmonization of corporate cultures. Getting all employees onboard, from both sides, is crucial to Destia’s successful integration into the Colas Group. The commonalities between the two companies should foster this feeling of belonging to a single group. “Colas’ values Caring, Sharing and Daring are principles that suit Destia and fit squarely with this integration period, during which, in order to succeed, we are sharing our knowledge and building a relationship of trust”, concludes Annu Karttunen, Destia’s Executive Vice President, Human Resources. “Everything is in place for this union to be successful!”
