Nokia ordered cyclone and earthquake
proof chassis from MAFI Group

Upgrading the networks for a customer proved to be quite a challenge for Eric and his team and sub-contractors.
“Coordinating between available prerequisites provided by the customer, site preparations, getting the equipment to the islands on time, coordinating with the sub-contractors, and performing a swap on one day per site, with minimum traffic disruption, these were just a few challenges we had to deal with, Eric continues.
Eric explains that the customer’s specifications for the new chassis proved to be another hard nut to crack. The Caribbean lies in the tropics, which can have cyclones with wind up to 250 km/h (155 miles/h). The area also has ongoing volcanic activities.

“Usually, it’s me pushing the supplier, but in this case,

it was almost the other way around.“
Eric Thizon, Nokia

“The specifications demanded that the chassis must be able to withstand both the most fierce winds and the worst earthquakes,” says Eric.
But, when checking Nokia’s equipment portfolio, no chassis matched those demands.
“Another supplier we’re working with suggested that I should get in touch with MAFI Group. I didn’t know about them, but I contacted Carlos Rojas.”
Carlos Rojas is responsible for the NOKIA account, and he coordinates all activities when it comes to finding solutions that facilitate the implementation and installation of NOKIA equipment.
Eric continues:

“After Carlos and his team revised the requirements for the project, he ensured that MAFI Group would be able to develop and produce what we at Nokia needed. And more than that, he was confident that they could meet our very tight deadline of two months.”
From that on, Eric and Carlos had weekly meetings to ensure that the chassis project was on track and on time.

Above: EFS Chassis CS7452.74 installed on site.

“Usually, it’s me pushing the supplier,” says Eric, “but in this case, it was almost the other way around. Carlos was incredibly proactive, constantly pushing his own and Nokia’s HW RnD and Portfolio Management teams to keep moving. For instance, approving the labeling usually takes up to two months. But with the joint efforts from the two companies, it just took only five days.
“Another problem was that I had to restrict the number of containers to ship all equipment to the sites,” Eric says. “So even though the new chassis must be more robust, they were not allowed to increase too much in size. And MAFI Group met that demand as well.”
Eric had also demanded that the new chassis be preassembled, easy to install, and compliant with all other equipment on site.

“Carlos sent us test protocols that showed showing the chassis compatibility, and also an instruction video which was very useful.”
Since September, the project has been up and running, and it’s scheduled to be finalized in November.
“MAFI Group contributed to getting this project,” Eric says. “And I would work with them again in the future if there is another project when we need new equipment.”

MAFI Americas takes next step towards growth at NATE UNITE

The NATE UNITE exposition is the leading event for the telecommunications industry in North America.
Thousands of key stakeholders in the industry are in attendance.

Tony Lane, VP MAFI Inc, summarizes MAFI's successes at the event.
"The MAFI brand and the quality of our products were well recognized. We had well over 100 visitors to our booth, and the MAFI team was represented globally."

This year's exposition was highly anticipated after being canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic. And NATE continues to host its events at popular destinations. Las Vegas certainly didn't disappoint.
Raphael de La Soujeole, Design & Technical Sales:
"This year's show was much busier than 2020. We had several new products to display, and we enjoyed good engagement from many attendees!"
Ajdoan Muliqi, Sales Manager, acknowledges that NATE offers an environment to network and gain exposure with potential partners in multiple capacities.
"Lots of people came and talked to us, which we appreciated. Some of them had not heard of MAFI but walked away with more knowledge of our products and a positive impression of our company. Even though this was my first NATE convention, it is clear that MAFI has taken the next step towards growth."

At NATE UNITE in Las Vegas MAFI was represented by Tony Lane, VP MAFI Inc, Per Tägtström, Chief Technical Officer, Andreas Persson, Chief Global Accounts, Ajdoan Muliqi, Sales Manager, Raphael de La Soujeole, Design & Technical Sales, Catherine Roadcap, Sales Operations Manager and Chris Reynolds, Logistics Manager.

Women of MAFI Group -

a women´s support group

The women of MAFI Group are Lina Nyström (top left), Chief Financial Officer, Catherine Roadcap, Sales Operations Manager (small window bottom right), Jasmin Shen, Finance Controller (top right), Emma Haltorp, Warehouse (top left), Shemei Cooper, Warehouse (small window bottom right, Xiomara Anguiano, Supply Chain Specialist (circle right), Michelle Dartez, Office Manager (bottom right), Emma Zhang, Customer Service Representative (bottom left), Lotta, Bengtsson, Global Marketing Coordinator, and Tove Lindquist, Customer Support (small window top left).

On March 8, International Women's Day is recognized across the globe.
This is a day dedicated to celebrating women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements everywhere. This also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

MAFI Group plays mainly in the telecom industry, which is predominately men. There is an urgent need for companies and organizations to encourage women to pursue and succeed with education and careers in fields that men primarily occupy. MAFI strives to promote this culture and has women contributing to every facet of their business. It is a priority to build self-confidence in and among women, particularly in this male-dominated industry.

Women play a vital role at MAFI Group worldwide. Women drive quality customer support, lead in the warehouses, manage the supply chain, and drive operational design and delivery activities. Women are also leading in the finance and accounting departments and overseeing marketing initiatives.
Catherine Roadcap, Sales Operations Manager, explains the foundation of the "The Women of MAFI", a women's support group in MAFI Group:
"The idea was to create a support system. We are a group of colleagues that have one foundational quality in common, we are women. But what else is there? The Women of MAFI group will be a chance for us to explore that, come together to share experiences, encourage one another, and provide professional and personal advice."

"MAFI has promoted and created an ideal environment where we as women feel like equals and part of the team. We're valued for who we are and what we contribute to the team and the business."