Alldrain has maintained a philosophy of balance between caution and risk-taking for twenty-five years
Alldrain has been paving the way for over 25 years, helping businesses and governments with intelligent water management. And we can justifiably take pride in that. For many companies and organizations, reaching the milestone of 25 years simply isn’t in the cards. The fact that we’ve achieved this significant landmark is down to numerous factors. The dedication of our team is perhaps the most important among them. Beyond that, safeguarding our corporate culture and identity, constantly striving for the ideal blend of human touch and technology, and a measure of practical wisdom have also been vital building blocks. We can describe the latter as common sense, or alternatively with the Greek word phronesis.
Above average
According to Belgian statistics agency Statbel, Belgian companies have an average lifespan of 12 to 13 years. Statbel’s figures show that after one year, 85% of newly established businesses are still operating, but after five years that figure drops to just 55%. And after ten years, only 35% to 40% survive. We can therefore be genuinely proud that Alldrain has undoubtedly earned the status of an established name over the past quarter-century.
Balancing risk and caution
How can we make the right decisions, the right choices? We’ve grappled with this question for centuries and it will continue to challenge us, but we’ve often heard that common sense is frequently a better guide than all sorts of complex theories and studies. In ancient Greece, they had a word for this: “phronesis.” It can also be translated as “prudent judgment.” And it’s been brought to the fore in the recently published book “Risquer la prudence” by Catherine Van Offelen.
According to Aristotelian philosophy, it refers to the ability to judge well in concrete situations, to know what’s right in a specific context. And with all due modesty, we can say that at Alldrain we’ve been quite successful at this. Naturally, some luck comes into play, but by drawing on a combination of knowledge and intuition, by trusting our gut feeling—which, as chocolatier Dominique Persoone recently emphasized on the program “Alleen Elvis blijft bestaan,” makes so much possible—you increase the likelihood of finding the right balance between taking risks and building in safeguards.
Today we see considerable paralysis because people are far less willing to take risks than they once were. Yet every success story involves a tipping point where risk-taking is essentially indispensable. At a certain moment, you always have to make decisive calls. When that’s done with sound judgment, there’s a strong chance a business can continue to grow and flourish.
As we’ve already proven with Alldrain over the past 20 years. But we’re far from resting on our laurels. The bold decision to green our site in Dentergem, joining De Florerende community, and the choice to replace our PVC pipes with biodegradable materials demonstrate that we’re firmly committed to contributing to a better world for future generations over the next twenty-five years—with plenty of entrepreneurial spirit.