WeForest

We’re supporting the forests in Zambia through our Health initiative with our partner WeForest.

When you think about WeForest, you might think it’s about planting trees, but WeForest is actually much more than that.

As a team, we have supported a total of 28,190 trees today. The trees are growing in the Copperbelt Province in Zambia, but the project we’re supporting is much more than growing trees. We’re helping the local community by engaging smallholder farmers in reversing deforestation.

The forests in that region need assisted natural regeneration. The typical local miombo forest has suffered from mining and charcoal production, so WeForest trains farmers to restore their small farms so the forests and land can get healthy and grow again.

One way to promote the local livelihood development is through beehives; healthy trees and forests bring bees, and honey provides money to the local farmers. A local farmer named David has been a WeForest farmer since 2016, and he has five beehives on his 1.25 ha farm forest. The beehives have helped increase his yearly income with an extra 22% of his regular annual income.

WeForest has created a map where you can read short stories and see photos from the project we’re supporting. Check it out here.

 

Fleet Management

 

Stina Svensson Fleet Coordinator Sweden

 

Stina Svensson, Fleet Coordinator in Sweden, shares her knowledge with fleet management and explains how it improves the rental experience for PNO’s customers.

What’s your day to day role and responsibility working in Fleet for PNO?

My daily role as a Fleet Coordinator involves controlling the cost of damages and maintenance on our trailers in the Swedish fleet. I’m in contact with the customer when they need to visit a workshop, and it’s my responsibility that the processes run as smoothly as possible. My role also involves conducting insurance cases for major claims. 

What difference does it make for our customers that we have fleet departments? 

We’re making a difference for the customer by contributing to a high level of service and flexible handling of damages. We want our customers to be as satisfied as possible and meet their needs.

Do you have a good customer story to share with us?

A customer rented a unit that suffered major damage in France, and the unit had to be transported to Berger’s factory in Austria. In this case, I made it easier for the customer by coordinating the various parties and pushing the case. The truck caused the damage, not our trailer, and the easiest thing for me would have been to hand the case to those responsible for the truck, but we want to go the extra mile for our customers, so I helped them through the process. 

 

“The most important part of my job is contributing to satisfied customers and ensuring we have effective administration.” 

 

Your role involves a lot of coordination – how do you manage to keep track and always provide a good service? 

I always document to make sure I don’t miss any mentioned details. My calendar is also a big help to keep track of everything. 

 

Read more stories from PNO here.

Impact overview 2021

Introduction to our Impact Overview 2021

Our purpose is to lead the transition to sustainable freight, which is at the core of what we do. It gives us direction, and it is the way for us to create a long-term impact on People, Planet and Profit.

2021 was a year for the history books defined by the pandemic. Together with our great team, we navigated well by using our purpose and values to steer and implement activities related to our People, Planet, and Profit priorities. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, our team demonstrated an incredible commitment enabling us to introduce new innovative digital solutions, new employee initiatives, supporting local communities, new ways to map our CO2 emissions, and more.

We achieved many things in 2021 within our People, Planet, and Profit focus areas, and we aim to share some of those highlights in this report.

Read the Impact Overview here.

Account manager

At PNO, all customers get a dedicated Account Manager responsible for the customer accounts. Customers only have one point of contact, which strengthens the relationship and collaboration. Peter Lundgren, Account Manager in Sweden, shares his view on the importance of having committed Account Managers.

What’s your day-to-day role and responsibility as an Account Manager working for PNO?

A big part of my job is to support our existing customers. It requires a lot of meetings, phone calls, and emails. I also work with new and potential customers, but that’s an entirely different process from the tasks I do with the existing customers – both work processes are exciting yet challenging. The existing customers know PNO, know how we work, and know all our names. We don’t have to sell PNO to them. Instead, we’re concentrating on keeping a good collaboration and relationship. When we meet new customers, it’s about selling PNO as a company, focusing on building a good relationship. 

 

“I believe in long-term solutions and collaborations, and I know that if the customer succeeds, we will do the same.”

 

How do you make a difference for the accounts that you’re managing?  

I build a great deal of trust by always being there for my customers. I believe in long-term solutions and collaborations, and I know that if the customer succeeds, we will do the same. That approach works well for me. My absolute strength is that I listen to my customers, and together we come up with the best solutions. 

In your opinion, why is it essential that PNO’s customers have one selected dedicated Account Manager? 

It’s about simplicity. It’s an advantage for PNO that we work closely together. The customer notices the collaboration between departments. They know that they can always contact us with questions and promptly receive an answer, which provides great security for the customers. 

 

“You want it to work, and you will do everything you can to make it work.” 

 

What difference does it make for PNO’s customers to only have one point of contact? 

From a customer perspective, it’s about simplicity and reliability. The customer always knows who to contact when they have doubts. As a responsible salesperson, you have the overall responsibility for the customers. You want it to work, and you will do everything you can to make it work.

Do you have a good customer story to share with us?

There are many! But the best feeling is when you see the customer is relieved to have received the help and support they expect from PNO. Many customers see PNO as experts in trailers, so they expect professional service from us. 

I’m responsible for an account that we, at some point, lost, but I continued to keep the dialogue with the customer, and I made sure to visit when I was in the area. I knew nothing would happen the next three years, but today they’re a 100% satisfied PNO customer again. The collaboration has since continued to develop, and our trailers are now available in several departments within the company.

Do you want to be a part of the PNO Team? Click here to view all available positions.

Value session

Core Values

PNO’s core values are Personal, Pragmatic and Responsible. These values go back to when Per Ørnstrand founded the company in 1975, and the values drive everyone working at PNO.

We’re personal in our relationship with our customers, colleagues, and partners. Pragmatic in the way we make decisions and get things done and responsible about our team, customers and the way we operate our business in the industry while being mindful about the planet. 

Our purpose

We’re working towards a common purpose: to lead the transition to sustainable freight

At PNO, we work across countries, making it crucial that everyone works towards the same goal and purpose. We are on a challenging and exciting journey, and we want everyone to take responsibility and share ideas.

 

Curious to learn more about available positions?

Are your values aligned with ours, and do you feel you’d be a good match for PNO, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always looking for more like-minded people to join our team

PNO helping mothers aid

For PNO, being a proud B Corp also means that each year, every local PNO office spends a total of two full working days on projects aimed to improve the social and environmental conditions of the local society. Everything from removing waste, to preserving natural spaces or assisting in logistics, PNO is committed to contributing to local communities. Find out more here.

This year PNO Group and PNO Denmark chose to help Mothers’ Aid (Mødrehjælpen), Heart & Soul in Horsens and Sydhavnstippen. PNO Sweden spent the day at Erikshjälpen and PNO Finland helped clean the children’s playground with Sipoo municipality. 

PNO Group – Mothers’ Aid (Mødrehjælpen) and Sydhavnstippen

In November, the team in Copenhagen spent the day helping out Mothers’ Aid as a part of our commitment to local communities and the planet. Mothers’ Aid’s most important task is to empower parents in their efforts to create a good, safe and caring environment for their children. Mothers’ Aid is focused on improving children’s conditions in their upbringing. Their help is given through nationwide counselling and social activities in many local communities around Denmark.

PNO helping Mothers aid
Earlier in 2021, PNO Group visited Sydhavnstippen a unique nature area in Copenhagen. The team continued to work with nature conservation. We removed “caw parsnip” (bjørneklo) by the roots, established a trail for the animals, removed invasive Japanese Knotweed by its roots to keep it from overtaking the area. Finally, the grass was cut to make space for new plant seeds in the ground.

PNO helping at Sydhavnstippen

 

PNO Denmark – Heart & Soul in Horsens

PNO Denmark spent the day packing products at Heart & Soul. Heart & Soul’s profit goes to support socially vulnerable children in Horsens. The money supports the children at their Birthday and confirmation with shoes and clothes. They also provide help for Christmas Gifts to make sure more children can celebrate Christmas.

PNO helping Heart & Soul

PNO Sweden – Supporting the Children’s Rights Organisation Erikshjälpen 

PNO Sweden spent the day with Erikshjälpen. A Children’s Rights Organisation with a non-profit second-hand business. The team helped sort the donated gifts, wash kitchen utensils and place the goods in the store for sale. 

PNO sorting goods at Erikshjälpen

PNO Finland – Cleaning Children’s Playground 

PNO Finland spent the day helping Sipoo municipality, to clean the children’s playground area. They helped cut bushes around the playground and the team removed the grass from the children’s sandbox. Finally, fresh and nutritious topsoil was added to make sure the trees continued strong and healthy growth.

PNO helping Sipoo

Over the first weekend of November, all of team PNO gathered together for our annual Strategy Weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark. We were able to gather safely together in Copenhagen to listen to experts, share insights and be together as a team.

Below you can watch a highlights reel of our time alongside each other.

It is with great excitement that we share the news about our new Chairman of the board, Gajen Kandiah, and our new members of the board, Yolanda Paulissen and Ibrahim Gokcen.  It is a privilege for PNO to bring onboard leaders who together bring decades of experience, and who drive and operate businesses to excellence which will positively impact PNO’s business.

“I am excited to take on the role of Chairman for the family-owned PNO. I look forward to understanding the industry, the challenges, and opportunities and support with my perspectives to drive value for all PNO’s stakeholders,“ Gajen Kandiah, Chairman of the Board,”

Gajen Kandiah, Chairman of the board.

“We are very pleased to have Gajen join our board as Chairman, and Yolanda and Ibrahim joining as board members. Our new members bring experience, leadership and will support us on our growth journey. We will draw on their many years of experience from their respective fields, and this will give us the invaluable insights to continue transforming our business.”

Jacob Lee Ørnstrand, CEO PNO.

PNO’s board consists of 4 members:
Jacob Lee Ørnstrand – Group CEO and Owner
Gajen Kandiah – Chairman of the Board
Yolanda Paulissen – Member of the Board 
Ibrahim Gokcen– Member of the Board 

We are excited about the future and look forward to bringing PNO to the next new phase with the experienced new Chairman and new members of the board.

For more information please contact:

Head of People, Communication and Sustainability, Solvej Lee Ørnstrand
solvej@pnorental.com 

 

 

We have committed to Net Zero 2030 and one of the areas where we need to see improvement is our work-related air travel. While the pandemic has drastically reduced the amount of travelling by plane we need to ensure that we do not return to how it was before the pandemic.

That is why we have decided to use Goodwings to remove the carbon emissions of our company and employee trips including air, rail, road, transfer, and hotel and take us one step closer to our commitment to Net Zero by 2030.

To learn more about Goodwings and the work they do visit:

 https://www.goodwings.com/travelnetzero 

PNO has signed and adopted the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of principles offering guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

The WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporate delivery on gender equality dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

By joining the WEPs community, we signal a commitment to this agenda at the company’s highest levels and work to foster business practices that empower women. We will need to work together, across all Departments and Divisions, to ensure that we foster a truly inclusive, safe and productive workplace for all our fellow employees.

Jacob Lee Ørnstrand – CEO said: “We are delighted to sign up to these principles – we will be implementing them with concrete actions which are being rolled out as we speak. I would like all of us to uphold the shared values of gender equality and women’s empowerment. This is not only good for us individually, but also for the sustainability, innovation and productivity of our company.”

To learn more about the WEPs, visit weps.org and for more information contact: 

Solvej Lee Ørnstrand
Head of People, Communication and Sustainability
solvej@pnorental.com