“At Lingel, we always believe that learning is a continuous process. We encourage our teams pan-India and also all our channel partners to get adequate training to learn all the USPs of the products, and build soft skills and tips to build a positive personality.” — Dr Mario Schmidt In 1959, when Lingel Windows was started by Karl Lingel, our founder had a clear vision to manufacture products that were sustainable and long-lasting. Responsibility taken by any organisation for the environment or for its employees goes a long way in building a strong, trustworthy and diligent team that stands by the organisation in the same way that its employees do. Thinking beyond one’s benefits and taking into consideration the well-being of all is what we, at Lingel, strive for, day in and day out. In 2020, when we all were forced to stay indoors due to the pandemic, we realised how the environment benefitted from it. We could experience the clear sky, greenery and nature at its fullest. Environment The building material sector has to always ensure that the product is not causing any long-run damage to the environment or its resources. Wood is not a material that can be renewed easily. To make windows out of wood means to cut down hundreds of trees. UPVC for instance is an eco-friendly product and fulfills the features of air tightness and water tightness. UPVC is also energy efficient and helps in saving electricity bills. Even the leftover scrap material can be utilised. Considering that almost every room in every home has an AC facility, the air tightness of our Lingel quality windows will reduce air leakage and reduce electricity consumption. We are manufacturing sustainable fenestration products that do not harm the environment. We also encourage our customers to contribute towards waiving their carbon footprint. We have grown trees and actively participated in activities encouraging people to waive their carbon footprint by joining hands with a cyclist who travelled across India to spread the message. Social We have always believed that learning is a continuous process. We encourage our teams pan-India and our channel partners to get adequate training to learn the USPs of the products, and build soft skills and tips to develop a positive personality. We started the Lingel Academy where experienced top management train the newbies and share new product knowledge with the already existing members. We have hired trainers from Germany who train our team from all over India in negotiating skills, and soft skills to make them more confident and which will last with them forever. We also send members from our production team to our German headquarters to gain knowledge of production and finesse exactly the way it is done as per European standards. Furthermore, a weekly online training called “Breakfast with Mario” is held on Saturdays where knowledge is imparted based on the challenges we have faced throughout the week. We follow the motto “Customer Always first.” More than 60 per cent of our orders are through referrals. Customers have the access to write to me directly in case they face any issues. We also ensure we educate our customers well about the products through various marketing activities on social media and articles in the magazines. Governance We believe in equal opportunity for our members and can proudly say that our senior-level team members have been with us since we first started here in India in 2006. As the Managing Director, I am aware of every member of the Lingel family. They can directly approach me at any time and is assured of support. During COVID-19, we ensured that our members were vaccinated. The opportunity to grow, learn and lead is given to all to strengthen their love for what they do. With most of our work depending on sales, representatives have to always ensure that they are ready for their daily dose of challenges. Lingel always believes in setting the right example so that all junior team members can emulate and learn from the senior members. As safety and security have always been a concern for many customers at Lingel we have introduced new products to match the expectations of our premium customers. A responsible organisation fulfills its commitments to its employees, the industry and the environment. The long term and short-term goals have to be kept in mind to safeguard the environment and human life. About the author Dr HC Mario Schmidt has been the Managing Director of Lingel Windows and Doors Technologies since 2006. With his immense knowledge in Mechanical Science, he has been able to add more value to the company’s innovation plan and has helped launch various new products.