Pressure on staff comes from many places and in many forms these days, and for employees of Norway's diversified Hesnes Group it comes in a very direct demand to keep healthy.
And when the company’s plan is lead by a former professional cyclist, who would be able to refuse?
Parent company Hesnes Holding has revealed in its 2018 annual report that it has put in place a training programme “where the activity is logged on a daily basis”.
This is a low threshold programme, where anything counts, from walking to sport. Our staff is our biggest resource. It is good business investing in their health.
Morten Gjolstad
The company, based on Notteroy on the Oslo Fjord, was inspired to start the programme due to Norwegian government recommendations that people should do daily exercise.
Strong motivation
Hesnes appears to have found good buy-in from staff, reporting that during the year there was 89.9% staff participation in the 30-minute-per-day sessions.
Hesnes chief executive Morten Gjolstad stressed: “This is a low threshold programme, where any-thing counts, from walking to sport. Our staff is our biggest resource. It is good business investing in their health.”
The driving force in this unusual project is former professional road racing cyclist Mads Kaggestad, who competed for France’s Credit Agricole cycling team from 2003 to 2007.
Kaggestad is related by marriage to Paal Smith-Kielland, who controls Hesnes together with daughters Kaja and Ida.
In recent years, Hesnes has invested in diverse segments, but is now retreating from sectors such as private jets and helicopters.
Gjolstad said the company will now be focused on Hesnes Shipping, Attic Forest, which owns three open-hatch vessels, and bunker broking company Norwegian Oil Trading.
Diversified investments
Hesnes also has a 5% stake in Gram Car Carriers Holdings, and a property portfolio.
Odd Gleditsch took over as company chairman from Smith-Kielland, 71, in 2018, but Gjolstad said Smith-Kielland continues to spend a lot of time at the company's offices.
Hesnes Holding generated pre-tax profit of NOK 36m last year down from NOK 44m in 2017, generating a NOK 16m dividend to shareholders for 2018. The group said the performance was satisfactory in the light of challenging shipping markets.
The group had a book value of NOK 512m ($60m) at the end of last year.
Both of Smith-Kielland’s daughters sit on the company's board, along with Jon Christian Syvertsen, chief executive of Klaveness Marine.
