DAMPA_75_years_of_quiet_design_ENG - Flipbook - Page 218
Andersen believed that DAMPA needed to become more
customer-focused, listening to the market and providing the
best possible solution for what each customer would want.
Rather than merely supplying ceiling panels and tiles, it
should distinguish itself by adding additional value wherever
possible – and this would form the long-term development
strategy.
He also realised that in order to make DAMPA profitable, it
would be necessary for everyone there to work more efficiently and so rather than the Construction and Marine divisions having around 40 staff each as in the past, there would
be no more than 20 per division, which would mean figuring
out how to organise production in new and better ways.
Although this was very challenging, the remaining employees whose jobs had been saved and those who were
re-hired were determined to make a success of the ’new’
DAMPA, not least as it was now once more under Danish
ownership. As Nykjær explained, ‘we are now a stand-alone
business and the future is in our own hands.’
The need for middle management was removed by organising employees into self-directing teams, resulting in a flatter
structure, focused on outcomes. Altogether, there were now
42 employees, rather than the 95 there had been under Chicago Metallic’s ownership. Nykjær notes how ‘everything
eventually worked better with fewer people. Our employees
were willing to go the extra mile and to take personal responsibility to ensure that what needed doing was done – and
done well.’
An initial large order received was to supply DAMPA® Lamella ceilings, covering an area of 25,000 square metres inside
the new Navitas education centre for energy, environment
and civil engineering in Aarhus. Designed by Kjær & Richter
and CCO Architects, upon completion in 2014 it was
acclaimed as Denmark’s largest low-energy building.
Navitas, Kjær & Richter and CCO Architects
Photo: Jens Erik Baek - Highway Studio
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