About People, Tradition and the Small Gestures that Shape a Culture

Some anniversaries are not only about numbers, but about people, memory, and values built over time

For INSPET, the year 2026 marks 35 years of existence as an independent legal entity, an important milestone in the journey of a Romanian company whose roots lie in more than seven decades of industrial tradition in the energy fluid construction sector.

In a complex and pragmatic field often perceived as austere — energy infrastructure — such milestones carry a special meaning. Because beyond projects, pipelines, compression stations or energy interconnections, companies are ultimately built by people. And the culture of an organization is often reflected in the small things: gestures, respect, and the way we recognize and celebrate our colleagues.

March 8 – International Women’s Day, a meaningful moment

This year, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we chose to mark the moment in a simple and authentic way.

With flowers. With red tulips.

At the company’s headquarters, we offered our female colleagues flowers and symbolic gifts — gestures meant to convey appreciation, respect, and gratitude for their contribution to the life of the company. The flowers were accompanied by messages focused on personal development, chosen in the spirit of INSPET’s values: continuous growth, responsibility, balance, and confidence in one’s own potential.

For us, these gestures are more than symbolic. They reflect a simple principle: a healthy company is a community where we grow together.

In 2025, we celebrated March 8 under the sign of yellow tulips, a symbol of spring, femininity, and appreciation for the important role women play in our professional community.

Creativity in appreciation – small gestures with meaning

Looking back at previous years, we can see how our creativity has always been adapted to workplace realities and to the way we understand organizational culture. For us, small gestures of appreciation are not merely symbolic gifts, but opportunities to express ideas and values that define us as an organization.

In one of the previous years, for example, we chose to offer our colleagues coffee plant seedlings. The gesture carried a deeper meaning: just as a plant grows over time with care and patience, an organization’s culture develops through attention, involvement, and continuity.

We encouraged our colleagues to care for the plants and follow their growth, transforming a symbolic object into an experience that reflects the idea of growth and development.

In the same spirit, the gift was accompanied by the recommendation of an inspirational book — “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up at Work.” The book speaks about the importance of organization and clarity, not only in the physical workspace but also mentally. Because order in the workplace means more than efficiency — it means balance, focus, and the ability to build lasting things together.

Such initiatives reflect the way we try to bring meaningful ideas into the life of the company. In a technical and demanding field such as energy infrastructure, we believe that professional development goes hand in hand with personal development. After 35 years of activity, these gestures have become part of our organizational culture — a culture in which appreciation, balance, and respect for each colleague are just as important as the projects we build.

Women in the construction industry – a less visible reality

When we talk about construction or energy infrastructure, the image that often comes to mind is that of a predominantly male industry. Reality, however, is more nuanced.

At the European level, the construction sector employs more than 12 million people, representing one of the most important economic engines of the European Union. Of these, approximately 10–14% are women, a percentage that has steadily increased in recent years as technology, digitalization, and automation transform the way work is carried out in the industry.

In Romania, the construction sector employs over 400,000 people, and the proportion of women is also increasing, even though it remains lower than in other economic sectors. These figures show that, despite public perception, women are already an integral part of the construction industry.

Diversity and balance within the INSPET team

In our company, approximately 20% of employees are women, working in fields such as accounting, finance, and human resources.

At the same time, we also have examples that demonstrate how traditional boundaries in construction professions are being surpassed. We have colleagues working in technical roles such as certified welders or industrial painters, professions that until recently were considered exclusively male. This diversity reflects not only the reality of the labor market but also the way modern organizations evolve.

Femininity as a source of balance in a technical field

The presence of women in an energy infrastructure company is not just a statistic — it is a source of balance.

Our female colleagues often bring to their teams a heightened attention to detail, rigor, patience, and remarkable organizational abilities — qualities that are essential in complex projects where every stage must be executed with precision.

In a sector where projects involve major responsibilities and high technical standards, collaboration and balance within teams become fundamental elements.

Representation and organizational values

In recent years, the European Union has promoted policies and directives encouraging gender balance in organizations, including within corporate leadership structures.

At INSPET, this representation is not merely about compliance with regulations or European best practices. It is, first and foremost, a reflection of our organizational values. We believe in respect and balance. We believe that femininity brings valuable perspectives into teams, contributing to the creation of a professional environment

A tradition of respect for the profession

Five years ago, when INSPET celebrated its 30th anniversary, we chose to mark the occasion in a special way. We went to the INSPET West Industrial Platform, where part of our activity takes place, to celebrate together with the welding team.

Among them were also our female welders — professionals who, through hard work, discipline and determination, have demonstrated that passion for a profession knows no stereotypes.

For many of them, INSPET has become more than just a workplace. It has become a second family.

Constanța, one of our welders, puts it simply: “INSPET is my second family. I have worked here for 37 years. I chose welding, and it became my life. Here I feel respect and appreciation. Every day I do what I know best, and that gives me energy.”

Organizational culture is built over time

At INSPET, we believe in sustainable, long-term development, in work done well, and in the professional responsibility of every employee, regardless of their position within the company.

We believe in honesty and mutual respect — toward colleagues, clients and partners.

As Ciprian Păltineanu, General Director of INSPET, says: “We believe in sustainable development, in work done well, and in the responsibility of each employee. Mutual respect is the foundation of our relationships with employees, clients and partners.”

These values are reflected not only in documents such as the company’s Code of Ethics, but above all in the way people work together every day.

The everyday gestures that build a culture

Sometimes organizational culture is not visible in written strategies, but in simple gestures. A bouquet of flowers offered with gratitude. A book that inspires personal development. A moment of appreciation for colleagues who contribute every day to the company’s success. Or a simple “Thank you.”

In an industry where projects are complex and responsibility is at the highest level, these moments remind us of something essential: A company is, above all, a community of people.

Become part of the INSPET community and explore the projects, values and people that define our work and our long-term contribution to energy and critical infrastructure.

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