From building Lego to constructing houses
K4 is a Dubai based provider of facility management and property maintenance services. They provide a range of hard & soft services to both individual apartments, villas and entire high-rise buildings.
During the September -21 newsletter we had the great pleasure of getting to know our corporate member Joakim Kihlström, CEO at K4 Technical Services. Enjoy reading about his interesting journey to Dubai which took him via Switzerland and Taiwan.
Hej SBC Member!
Who is Joakim Kihlström?
Joakim Kihlström, CEO, K4 Technical Servces
This is a tough one. I would say Joakim Kihlstrom is an extremely curious person. As soon as I climb one hill, I immediately want to know what is behind the next one. I’m an Engineer by background but with a passion for the world of finance as well. I love to learn and I love to explore new places and ideas.
I was born in Sweden in 1988 from where I moved to Taiwan in 2007 for an internship. After that, I spent 4 years in Switzerland and then another 8 years in Taiwan, before finally moving to Dubai. I spent most of my childhood in the archipelago and always with Lego in my hands. I like to be close to the sea and I like to build stuff.
You founded K4 early 2020, right when the COVID - 19 Pandemic hit. How did you manage that?
Well, it is true. Opening a venture during a pandemic may seem counterintuitive. Due to the heightened time of uncertainty, many businesses were seen scaling down or even shutting down operations completely.
But when you think about it, it was during the time of the pandemic that most people spent their time within their residence — which for some, actually served both home and an office for a while. I remember walking into the furniture shop feeling pretty confident I could make a good deal on buying furniture for the office. To my surprise, they did not have a single office chair available due to a surge in orders for home offices.
We noticed that homes became extra precious and regarded as the only safe haven. Hence, homeowners and tenants suddenly became a lot more concerned about the quality of living and more aware of the importance of preventive maintenance — which eventually created a big demand for reliable property maintenance services.
At K4, we have always been determined to become Dubai’s most reliable property maintenance company. And as a result, we were able to capture a lot of the new demand. I remember someone told me: in order to catch a dragon, you first have to imagine one.
No matter the economic situation, I believe the need for property maintenance services will remain evergreen; and at K4 we remain committed to finding new ways to increase the quality of life for our clients.
Planning day at K4 offices in Al Barsha
Why did you start a technical service company?
I have been very lucky to have had a mentor that taught me to see opportunities in every situation and K4 is a direct result of that.
I started out in Dubai buying properties on behalf of investors and then renovating them to increase the rents and resell them with a profit. As the outbreak hit and the lockdowns began, there was suddenly little to no activity in the market. Being stuck at home, I decided to take some time to reflect over the business and how it could be done better.
One of the things that came to my mind was how much we struggled with the contractors who were looking after the properties. I discussed my concerns with friends and realised that I was not alone in my observation. Digging deeper into the issues, my conclusion was that most of the issues were a result of wrong mindset and attitude. From then, I realized: hey, there is a huge gap here in the market and we have what it takes to fill that gap and create a competent service.
In addition, during the lockdown period, maintenance companies were one of very few businesses that were still allowed to operate and unrestricted as they were considered essential services. I told myself: wow, pretty much every business around the world has come to a full stop but these guys are still allowed to continue their operations — I want to be in that industry and that’s when I decided to set up K4.
You have founded not only one company but two. What drives you to be an entrepreneur?
Oh I don’t know — maybe it’s the lego? I always loved building legos and creating new things but as soon as I was done building one thing I always felt like — what now? I would disassemble it and try to tweak it, instead of playing with it. I think I find the joy in the journey itself of being part of creating something but I have a very hard time to sit down and enjoy the end result once it’s done. I always want a new challenge.
Mohammad Khalid Operations Manager and Joakim Kihlström, CEO, K4.
You have also lived and worked in Taiwan prior to the UAE. What are some of the cultural differences between the two countries? And what are your key strengths that you have learnt from these cultures?
Yes, the UAE has definitely been a big change after 8 years in Taiwan. I would say the biggest cultural difference is the fact that there are so many cultures here in the UAE — a real melting pot. I cannot think of another place I have been where I meet people from so many different nations and cultures. For that very same reason, I am extremely grateful to live here.
It has taught me so much about people and helped me to open my mind to new ideas, which I believe is key to being successful as an entrepreneur. It’s amazing to sit in a discussion with 10 different people, from 10 different cultures, with 10 completely different ideas on how to solve an issue or improve a process. I have so much respect for how the leaders of the UAE have managed to create such a diverse but yet such a tolerant place and all how that translates into so much creativity.
At K4, we try to diversify among our staff and teach people to embrace our differences and turn them into our key strength. Going back to my past where I mainly worked with people from the same culture as I am absolutely fascinated by how the diversity among people can fuel productivity and as such, I could not think of a better place than Dubai to be an entrepreneur.
Thank you Joakim! We wish you all the best with your business!
Joakim Kihlström
CEO
K4
LinkedIn
Email: info@k4.ae
Swedish Dalahäst made by K4 for the Swedish National Day Celebrations which was donated to the Swedish Pavilion. From left Maria Modin, Controller, HR-representative Dubai, Swedish Pavilion, Jan Thesleff, Commissioner General, Swedish Pavilion, Kjell Kollin, Executive Chef, Swedish Pavilion and Joakim Kihlström CEO, K4,