Rob Wildeboer is the Executive Chairman and co-founder of Martinrea International Inc., a global auto parts supplier, specializing in automotive fluid systems and metal forming products.  Martinrea has over 15,000 employees at 38 divisions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe and China. 

[This blog post (Part 2 of 3) is based on remarks delivered by Mr. Wildeboer to a Christian Embassy of Canada gathering in Ottawa on December 1, 2015.]

In order to perform our mission and fulfill our vision, we have also developed, in conjunction with our people at the corporate level, in the groups and in the plants, the principles that will guide how we do business. We believe our success will ultimately be based on the application and execution of our guiding principles, applied with integrity, in all that we do.

I firmly believe that if you lose the principles, and don’t follow them, you lose your way. The people I have the pleasure to serve with at Martinrea feel the same way. At every offsite, and at every meeting of our business unit leaders and functional group leaders, we go over our principles and we are trying to live them, not just preach about them.

So, here is the list:         

1.  We make great, high quality products.

Nothing should detract from this, and if we don’t we will not survive or be No. 1. That is what it is all about – not buying companies, not being the biggest, not being the cheapest, not being the fastest growing but being the best. Quality really is the basis of job security and opportunity for our people. We are good in many areas, great in some, but there is always room to improve.

 2.  Every plant/division must be a centre of excellence

Not a centre of adequacy, but excellence. Some of our plants are, we believe, the best in the world in what they do – Saltillo for fluids, Queretaro and Madrid for aluminum blocks and structures; some of our metallics plants consistently win supplier awards.

 3.  Be disciplined. Discipline is Key

Ownership implies discipline. Operational and financial. Consistency and continuous improvement are the basis of manufacturing, but must be applied in a disciplined way. Once you do something right, you must have the discipline to always do it right and do it better. It is fundamental to emphasize a culture of discipline.

4.  We attract, train and work with excellent people, and we get our people to perform well

Only by training people and encouraging people to use that talent will we accomplish great things. We succeed or fail because of the people involved, doing the things we need them to do.

 5.  We are a team

Together everyone achieves more; Business is one of the ultimate team sports. This does not mean we all say the same thing, and cannot provide constructive dissent. We need constructive criticism. Constructive dissent treats people with dignity and respect. We will make mistakes; and we have, but we can fix things together. Organizational charts and titles are nice, but mean little. Your title cannot foster ego. Your title does not equal your contribution. We are a team.