Rasoul Sadati is the owner and CEO of East Roll Industries Company (ERICO), founded by his father in 1978. The company is situated in Gorgan in the north of Iran and specialises in the manufacturing of high-precision rollers for the food and feed industries.
Mr. Sadati, in 2018 you participated in the Manager Training Programme (MP). What impact did it have on your business?
I learned that the presentation of our company and products should be more adapted to global standards, so after my return to Iran we updated our company website as well as our product presentation. We also improved our working safety structure and implemented new management methods, especially new key performance indicators to measure quality and business performance, as well as improved security standards and an optimised quality management system. Despite the current economic challenges, I was able to import rollers for the food and feed industries from a company in Bavaria after having participated in the Programme in 2018.
What was your motivation to participate in “Fit for Partnership with Germany”?
I realised that my experience was somewhat limited. After my first stay in Europe many years ago, I had already updated our products and activities, and it became clear to me that the key to developing our business further was to improve upon our communication with European businesses. Later, I got to know a German company that is one of the best suppliers of rollers for food industries. After a few trips to Germany, I realised that German firms are the most trustworthy in the world of trading and business. They never hide information concerning the functions and technical details in order to profit from that. German manuals are the most detailed and comprehensive in the world. Thus, the MP was a great opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge about German work-culture and qualification programmes. During the four weeks in Germany, I visited more than 15 different firms and factories and got a better understanding of modern global standards. In addition, I was able to further develop business relations with the existing German partners. The outcome and benefits of the Programme exceeded by far my expectations.
Despite the current challenges, have you been able to conclude contracts with Germany?
During these four weeks in Germany I was able to communicate with researchers and educational institutes as well as with two enterprises in the fields of animal food and food industries. We are keeping in touch and sharing our experiences concerning the state of the Iranian market – to be ready in time when the economic situation changes. As soon as the economic change comes, I am planning to strengthen and expand my business relations with Germany. I have already started creating a more collaborative organisational culture in my company and opened a training centre for employees and customers to offer so-called on the job training, something which is still quite uncommon in Iran.
What surprised you most about Germany and what have you learned about “the Germans”?
I was amazed and also surprised about many things; especially the attention given to environmental issues and innovation in this field was impressive to me. One point I clearly remember is our meeting at a leading German firm. One person in our group asked: “What happens, when employees make a mistake?” The answer was: “We send them for additional training.” “And if they repeat the same mistakes?” “Then they either receive further training – or we put them in a different position.” This is totally different to the work culture in Iran. After repeating a mistake once, employees there probably get fired. Rasoul Sadati is the owner and CEO of East Roll Industries Company (ERICO), founded by his father in 1978. The company is situated in Gorgan in the north of Iran and specialises in the manufacturing of high-precision rollers for the food and feed industries.
Photos: © ERICO