There's a good question. Today I can be proud to say that my company is one of the five best to work for in Brazil and precisely because of this I am often asked how I got to this level.
Grupo Gazin was born 45 years ago in small Douradina in the interior of Paraná. The vocation to search for new paths combined with courage have always been present in the minds and hearts of the people of Douradin, and consequently, at Gazin.
I started my working life very early, at the age of eight, as an employee. By the way, I really like the word EMPLOYEE, because I automatically remember that it takes people “working”, so that everything goes right. My boss was Mr. Celi, with him I learned to make money, but I didn't gain culture. I always asked him how much his trade was selling or making a profit and he always replied: - "That doesn't give anything". From 13 to 15 years old, I had a great leap in knowledge when working for Mr. Sebastião Rubira Darcy, who was my great teacher. A tough but fair man. I learned at that time to value people, be humble and not lie, always speak where I need and want to get. I also learned not to be ashamed to say how much I sold, how much profit or loss I had.
When I was very young, I worked in a dry goods store. When the opportunity arose, together with my father I sold the family jeep to buy a part of the store. This was the beginning of Grupo Gazin, simple, but that fills us with pride. Since then, the company has grown through several phases, some of great abundance and some crises that made us mature and learn a lot. Starting in 1994, we began a new phase in the company, generating SUSTAINABILITY for the group, employees and families. This new way of seeing the company and its performance was perhaps the biggest paradigm shift I've achieved in my entire management, when I realized that I could combine profit and a culture of valuing people. So, my dream became to make Gazin, recognized as one of the biggest companies in the country and the best to work for in Brazil. Since 1995 I was already prepared to participate in the Exame survey. Today we have been in the rankings of the main Organizational Climate surveys for 10 consecutive years, and each year reaching better positions. We are always improving in every dimension that makes an excellent company. We know that trust is the essential ingredient for a good relationship in the work environment between leaders and subordinates. For this, it is essential that we manage with CREDIBILITY, RESPECT, IMPARTIALITY, PRIDE AND COMMERCIALITY. When companies become excellent, the line between management and work disappears and a great family is created, where all the children are proud of what they do, of their peers and of the company itself. People who enjoy their work in a deep and lasting way and are fulfilled are much more productive.
Today, I usually say that my dreams are the size of my employees' dreams. The difference is that today we set them as goals and set out to overcome them.
Our goal for the next five years is to be among the 200 largest companies and to be considered the best company to work for in Brazil. In Paraná, we have already achieved this dream. I know it's getting more and more difficult, because the closer to the top, the hotter it gets, after all we compete with the best, national and international.
For all I've done and for how much we've grown, people ask me if I delegated. I say I don't know, but one thing I'm sure of: I learned to trust people, I lost with some, but I gained with many. And that is excellence.
Mario Gazin is a founding partner and president of Grupo Gazin, a solid company in the market for over 45 years, with more than 170 stores, 14 distribution centers, 01 Wholesale, 05 industries of mattresses, springs, upholstery, 10 business units and one of the five best companies to work for in Brazil.