GRAND ENTRETIEN
DECEMBRE 2013
Santa Claus – Owner & Managing Director, Santa’s Village & Workshop, North Pole
American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg
“Christmas is about giving thanks and tangibly remembering
those you love and the others around you”
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas or Kris Kringle, traditionally brings gifts to the homes
of good children every year on December 24. Mr. Claus resides in the North Pole, where his main
workshop and distribution center are located. Although his peak season is in the fourth quarter,
Mr. Claus works year-round taking care of his reindeer, including the renowned Rudolph, and creating innovative gift-giving solutions with his elves.
Thank you for taking the time to
meet with me today. We all know this
a busy time of the year with all the
hustle and bustle, especially for you.
How are you keeping the stress at bay?
What works for me best is simply
to embrace this time of year with all
its challenges: then it does not feel like
stress. It is just doing what I love to do:
make people happy, encourage the holi­
day spirit (hopefully all year long!) of
hard work, thrift, kindness to all and
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charity to those who are in need. Over
the years, I have found that if you are
doing something you love and believe
in, you really do not feel the stress.
You must be receiving letters from
all corners of the world right now.
What are on wish lists this year? And
do you notice differences in what people
around the world are asking for?
I am touched by some (but not all!) of
the letters I receive. Some people are very
materialistic, wanting the latest ‘blingbling’ – these requests I read with amuse­
ment. But the requests that touch me
most are simple reflections of love and
generosity, such as the request for a kit­
ten, horse or dog, an animal to love and
take care of … Selfless requests asking
for support for someone truly in need
other than the author of the letter. I am
pleased that in these tough times more
people are turning to simple requests
that reflect important values such as
kindness to others, service to those in
need, tangibly saying thanks to those you
love and appreciate. Globally, I find that
most people are fundamentally alike and
the differences in presents are simply in
the economic circumstances and cultural
orientation (for example, not many peo­
ple in Germany will ask me for a new
fishing catamaran or a camel)! But I am
pleased to find that good people are fun­
damentally similar the world over.
According to the Deloitte year-end
survey, Luxembourgers have a more
positive outlook about the economy in
2013 than they did in 2012 (the percentage of those with a negative outlook decreased from 53% to 41% from
2012 to 2013). This outlook was especially positive among the younger generation. Is this consistent with the economic climate in the North Pole?
The economic climate at the North
Pole is tough. Global warming has made
our lives much more complicated, and
we have to deal with the labor syndicate
the elves have set up which demands
indexed salaries regardless of the cost of
doing business and discounts productiv­
ity increased (or the lack thereof). I love
this business, but it would be a tough
business to enter if I were just start­
ing out now due to marketing, hedge
funds, labor costs ... the list goes on. If
Santa were an entrepreneurial startup,
it would really be tough!
Would you ever consider relocating your business from the North
Pole to Luxembourg?
Good question! I like the Luxem­
bourgish people: they are generally
modest, honest, and graciously wel­
coming of foreigners and diversity. But
labor costs for seasonal hires would be
very high. Taxes, for the moment, are
okay, and there is an excellent infra­
structure, making it easy for me to
make my deliveries – there is even
access to Cargolux if the elves were
ever to go on strike. So, if the new
government in Luxembourg keeps
low taxes and business-friendly regu­
lations, I might entertain a move!
There is much talk about the U.S.EU bilateral Transatlantic Trade &
Investment Partnership. How could
this agreement potentially make your
life easier?
This would be really good! I would
not have to worry about repackaging
products as I move presents from one
place to another – and there would be
no import taxes to pay! Yes, this would
be a game changer. And this would be
very good for the Luxembourgish econ­
omy, as well; it would help bring new
jobs and tax revenue. AMCHAM Lux­
embourg has actually informed me it
will be hosting some events after the
holidays and throughout next year on
that very issue, so be sure to tell your
readers to attend those events!
As you prepare for delivering presents to the children of the world and
keep your reindeer healthy, how do
you keep focus on the holiday spirit?
For you, what are the holidays truly
about?
Christmas is about giving thanks
and tangibly remembering those you
love and the others around you. It is
also a religious, and those two ideas go
hand in hand. Some companies have
foregone Christmas cards to donate
to charities the money they would
have spent. Recently, on December 8,
AMCHAM and the Lions Club Lux­
embourg-Amitié held a Rhythm & Car­
ols charity concert for families: these
sorts of activities give substance to the
holidays and reinforce the idea of giv­
ing to others. I am happy about this.
To all the readers of Merkur, I wish
you, your families and friends much
joy, happiness, good health and suc­
cess, both now and in 2014. Live good
lives of service to yourselves and others.
Make a positive difference in whatever
ways you can, however big or small. Be
the best you can be – not just at Christ­
mas, but throughout the year. Be hon­
est and kind, work hard and be happy!
Always remember: Santa knows if you
have been naughty or nice!
Interview:
Natalie Gerhardstein, AMCHAM
Photos: Stephen Roberts n
Interested in joining AMCHAM?
Visit www.amcham.lu or call (+352) 43 17 56
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