Opening Doors for Rovaniemi Industrial Companies in Norway

Customer: Opening Doors in Norway
Duration: Dec. 2013 – Feb. 2014

A business delegation of Rovaniemi-based industrial companies visited the counties of Nordland and Troms in relation to the opening ceremony of Finland House in Tromsø. Last week seven companies took part in a matchmaking trip arranged by Rovaniemi Regional Development Agency Ltd. Even during the trip some results were achieved as Minetec Oy from Rovaniemi offering services in hydraulics and industrial maintenance received a request for proposal.

Architectural and design company Viiri-Ylinenpää, Napapiirin Teollisuushuolto Oy, Painatuskeskus Finland, Minetec Oy, Transport company Ilmari Lehtonen, Napso Oy, and Sijaishaltija Oy took part in the matchmaking trip arranged by Rovaniemi Regional Development Agency Ltd. under the Programme “Development of Industrial Cluster of City of Rovaniemi”. The delegation visited selected companies based in Northern Norway, as well as local development agencies, 50 per cent of which are business-owned. The Finnish companies also visited ports and port administrations where significant renovation projects are being implemented.

Norwegians are demanding customers, so a local contact or a consultant plays a vital role. Last week Bjørn and Kåre Storvik from Storvik & Co opened doors for the Rovaniemi-based companies taking part in the matchmaking trip.

- ”It is almost obligatory to have a local partner. When you come to Norway, ”do not bring a knife to a gunfight”, but do your ”homework” properly starting with market study. The Industrial Cluster Programme and the assistance of Storvik & Co were crucial for the trip”, says Joni Niskala, Managing Director of Minetec Oy.

The main task of the Programme “Development of Industrial Cluster of City of Rovaniemi” led by Rovaniemi Regional Development Agency Ltd. is exactly to map and search for new market areas for the regional industrial companies and industry supporting businesses. Entrepreneurs themselves wished to participate in matchmaking and fact-finding trips, as they consider them to be the most helpful way to get internationalized.

- ”Tourist trips are history. Now we want to participate in the trips, when a local party assists a business delegation in all aspects in order to obtain as much concrete results or in other words deals as possible”, says Marko Heikkilä, Project Manager of the Programme “Development of Industrial Cluster of City of Rovaniemi” from Rovaniemi Regional Development Agency Ltd.