Business philosophy Lucia Group Holding B.V.
AN INITIATIVE TO THOUGHT AND BEHAVIOUR

The following companies belong to the Lucia Group Holding B.V.:
Building Depot Curacao B.V.
Building Depot Trading B.V.
Building Depot Member Services B.V.

COMPANY'S HANDBOOK
A few things we authoritatively prescribe from our main office: the purpose and control of the administration, the external accountant and the quality watch. This requires a lot from the human being: education and training demand a lot of years. The rules for this are set down in internal procedures and they form part of the company’s handbook.

WHY A BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY?
The LGH’s company philosophy existed long before being written on paper. Rodney Lucia, founder of Lucia Group Holding, in spite of the large growth of above mentioned company activities has always personally put in to explain the standards and values inside the company by giving inspirational speeches and conversations. His success is not only based due to beautiful words but especially because it was supported by giving proper examples. Rodney Lucia was a man of his word.

The current management has worked with Rodney Lucia for years. However because of growth and rejuvenation of the organization there are people working with the companies that belong to the LGH that are not familiar with the business philosophy.

That is why we have decided to try and have the business philosophy in writing. Luckily no one sees the business philosophy as an iron manual. It is more an initiative to thought and behaviour. In each specific cultural environment will the interpretation, de ‘result’, be different. It is all about the philosophy that stimulates the conversation and that contributes to the research, formulating and conserving of the values in the company. Not the result, but the dialogue is of importance. By means of dialogue can people find each other in the work community, from high to low.

THE BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
For LGH and her company parts is the integrity and loyalty of her employees the most important instruments.

Integrity means a complete sincerity and honesty in deeds and communication in all business that concerns the company. Good news may travel slowly, but bad news must travel fast.

Loyalty means you give your best effort in your work for the company and its development.

The administration communicates with it employees in the foundation of integrity and loyalty. The employees of the companies have full rights to this.

The administration aspire a broad organization with a limited amount of management layers. This aspiration offers excellent and unusual chances for individual development.

Mutual trust is the foundation of pleasure in work, something both parties, employees and management, shall take advantage of.

STRATEGY

  • Invest in growth with a long-term vision.
  • Making the best even better. We set the ladder each year high in order to become the best or to stay the best.
  • Use your sane reasoning and do not make decision on the basis of emotions.
  • To be cost-effective or become cost-effective on term is necessary for the employees as well as the company’s activities.
  • Target market share or ‘niche’, but do it professionally.
  • Give guidance towards change. The market is continuously subject to changes.

METHOD

  • When you do something, do it well;
  • Aspire perfection;
  • Motivate people;
  • Listen, learn and react;
  • Keep business simple.

INVEST IN GROWTH ON LONG-TERM
LGH is a private company and desires to remain so. Shareholders are not “uit op opgepoetste” quarter and annual returns. They have accepted the risks of the new mission at the expense of short-term profit. On long-term should LGH be a financially very strong company with individual profitable business branches. To annually become stronger financially is the family prepared to extend little to no dividend.

TARGET MARKETSHARE OR ‘NICHE’
We don’t jolt along with general trends and fashion. We shall manifest ourselves as strong participants of our own market territory or search for unusual markets. Following of popular investment trends delivers only nine day’s wonder.

INVEST IN PEOPLE
LGH/Building Depot does not produce a worldwide known product. We deal with general merchandise that other people can sell too. That is why success is the result of our people, and not of our product. Investing in people means:

  • Trust your people and let them know so;
  • Give your people responsibility;
  • Train your (young) personnel;
  • Allow employees to participate in the profit;
  • Stimulate creativity.

It is of great importance that people should not take the blame. We all commit mistakes. To blame someone is to be negative. If integrity and loyalty are undisputed, a mistake can mark the beginning of something better. Energy can be better used for resolving problems than to blaming others.

GIVE GUIDANCE TOWARDS CHANGE
Everything around us changes continuously. Do not be blind or deaf to it, and do not panic. Changes create new opportunities. Analyse changes, discuss them with others, evaluate and keep own thoughts against the light. See changes as the oxygen for your company and give guidance with comprehension and wisdom.

SEARCH FOR THE UNUSUAL
The unusual is interesting; the usual is on the other hand boring. A boring company can be exciting if it is guided in an unusual way. The unusual appeals to our intelligence and our creative spirit. On all management levels people should be stimulated to search and consider the unusual in their management if it helps. This is an essential condition for success. The unusual might turn out to be exactly what our opponents will not consider.

MOTIVATE PEOPLE
Motivate people by giving the good example. We believe in the good will of people to do their best for the company. We should be able to motivate our people by discussing the foundation of our business philosophy. We should be able to reward people for their work, make them responsible, and give them trust. We should allow ‘our’ people to get promoted as much as possible. We should limit the amount of administration layers and the bureaucracy to a minimum.

LISTEN, LEARN AND REACT
No one knows everything, we all know a little. By listening to others’ ideas and thoughts, we can broaden our own horizon. Listening first and then speaking is the key to learning. The sensible man or woman shall profit of the knowledge of others. After listening and learning we are able to conclude to react. We must not forget that sometimes to do nothing is also a decision.

KEEP THE BUSINESS SIMPLE
Simplicity has a clarifying beauty. Only in appearance is life complicated. The formalities and bureaucracy surrounding it are complicated, a good business that is never. Choices and decisions might be difficult at times, but not complicated. Put down your thought on any arbitrary subject on a piece of paper – that clarifies the spirit. As a very difficult problem is dominated, it becomes simple.

LGH BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
Outgoing from the integrity and loyalty of our people we would like to keep growing, for the benefit of our shareholders and employees as well as the well being of the society in which we live and work.