SEASON’S GREETINGS SEASON’S GREETINGS — A lot of people have proclaimed that 2016 was one of the worst years on record. A year that brought us more horrific terror including in our second home Nice and indescribable acts of war latest in Aleppo. The year also brought us Zika, Brexit and Trump, record breaking temperatures and overall more extreme weather. On the other hand, the same year also took away including the master, the bard of the boudoir Mr. Leonard Cohen as it did Prince and David Bowie. A special year no doubt but not the worst ever, we are sure we would find out if we had the chance to speak to people in Europe in 1348 when the plague, the black death took hold and tore through especially Europe killing up to 1/3 of its entire population. Those still alive to remind us about WW2 would probably also tell that in a world at war 1943 stood out as the most terrible with the Holocaust reaching its peak leaving millions of Jews dead. Those harsh historical examples put aside for now, 2016 and the times we live in ARE challenging with pivotal core values at stake, dark forces luring and an economical climate that continues to be and maybe even will grow yet a bit more difficult in 2017. So we are facing “closed doors” but what appears and seems like a closed door is most often also an open one. The robots are coming! and that can for some be seen as a challenge with around 8 million jobs being lost in the USA alone the next 5 years due to robotics and automated processes but look at the business of Sanovo Technology Group where we sell more and more automation. The internet is a challenge for many since digitalization will take away a lot of business from brick ’n’ mortar alternatives but look at the possibilities for example for a company like hummel to grow its online own channel sales, to go to market via SoMe and content marketing as to grow the business with online wholesellers. So we have to think in possibilities and solutions, on the edge of the box of the existing. We also have to unite even more in a group like ours; we have to stand shoulder to shoulder and also get closer. Although you are all stand alone units, brands and profit centers we expect to see you get even closer to THORNICO in 2017 in terms of values, participation, DNA and communication. This is very important to us. THORNICO is THE motherbrand. And since the world will continue to see more challenges in 2017 more people will also need our help for which reason 2017 will also be a year where we go even deeper with our Company Karma projects like the ones in Swaziland, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. With this words we would like to say thank you for all your great work in 2016; you are a tough bunch and the backbone of the THORNICO group and to end with a quote from Cohen whom we as mentioned lost in 2016: “There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in “. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thor and Christian Stadil 2
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