The first Gordon Delivery van rolled into the streets of Finland in October 2021. Much has happened since then, and the plans for 2022 are more ambitious than ever before.
Having launched in Sweden in 2015 and expanded into Denmark in 2020, Gordon already had a tried-and-true business model and fine-tuned ways of operating upon entering Finland. However, as in all new markets, the establishment phase was intense, especially in terms of setting up operations with new customers. Looking back on the company’s first months in Finland, the results have been strong. Gordon already has eleven customers, including both retailers and meal kit producers, as well as a terminal in Helsinki, three employees and twelve vans. Moreover, its geographical coverage implies that Gordon’s customers can make home deliveries to 42% of the Finnish population.
But that’s just the beginning of Gordon’s journey in Finland. In 2022, the company plans to ramp up even more, including by
- Establishing two new terminals to increase Gordon’s geographical coverage;
- Providing delivery service and tech solutions to more new customers to support their business growth; and
- Implementing new vans that have already been ordered.
As is always the case in successful set-ups, some people have gone the extra mile. At Gordon, there are three such stars without whom the company would not be operating in Finland today. Here’s the crew that you’ll meet if you want to collaborate with Gordon in Finland:
How did you come to work at Gordon? What attracted you to the company?
Rene:
I’ve been working with food e-commerce for nearly my entire career, so it was a natural next step for me to jump from the customer side to a service provider. What specifically attracted me to Gordon was that it was introducing something different to the Finnish market, and I immediately saw its potential and wanted to be a part of it.
Karolina:
I’ve had a growing interest in logistics, so when I heard that Gordon was going to start deliveries in Finland, my country, I knew that I wanted to be part of the expansion. The motivation and dedication that I saw within the team also inspired me to join.
Charles:
The business that Gordon provides to its customers is something that I’ve been interested in for a long time. I’ve also followed movements in online grocery stores for some time. I was asked to help with creating sales late last summer, and after a while we agreed that I’d become more integrated into the business itself.
What did you do before you came to Gordon?
Rene:
I worked as a logistics manager at Sannan Ruokakassi, a Finnish meal kit company that’s now a customer of Gordon’s. I was responsible for purchasing and logistics as well as the production of the meal kits and leading the pick-and-pack team.
Karolina:
My educational background is in the humanities, but I was working with service and cost control at an electronics company.
Charles:
I was assisting business-to-business companies with achieving better sales faster and creating stronger sales teams focusing on sales call techniques and quality communication.
Describe Gordon in two words.
Rene:
Cool and fresh.
Karolina:
Dynamic and inspiring!
Charles:
Brave and happy!
Now, above all: What do you listen to in the car?
Rene:
I mostly listen to extreme metal music, primarily death metal and black metal. Some examples are Incantation, Bolt Thrower, Immolation, Darkthrone, Enslaved, and Bathory.
Karolina:
I think that anything dark and obscure best describes my taste, both in music and podcasts.
Charles:
I often drive to meet customers, so I usually listen to empowering music like the Offspring, Metallica, 90s dance hits and, of course, the Rocky theme!