Tomi Tura: All inclusive service for companies
The Lahti region has genuine pull factors that attract companies looking for a new home base. LADEC’s relocation service connects companies and municipalities, and like a good butler, makes sure that the customer’s needs are met.
LADEC offers relocation services for all companies interested in the Lahti region, regardless of their size or industry. Some of the companies using relocation services find the area through their own sales work, some contact the service themselves and others are referred to LADEC by the national organisation Invest in Finland.
“The number of these international enquiries has been growing recently,” says Director Tomi Tura, Business Region Development unit, LADEC.
Contacting potential companies is a part of sales and marketing work that presents the Lahti region as an operating environment for companies.
“We focus our contacts especially on the industries for which the Lahti region has the most to offer, and to which we can also show synergy benefits from things like active business networks and cooperation with higher education institutions in addition to the location and cost benefits of the area,” Tura explains.
The companies are offered a comprehensive service, and LADEC’s experts provide assistance within its framework at all stages of the relocation process from mapping plots and premises to finding partners and networks.
“Our task is to act as a scout and pioneer of a sort. At our best, we anticipate things and clear a route for companies in advance.”
Many pull factors
The time of the coronavirus, perhaps a bit surprisingly, has increased the number of enquiries. According to Tura, this is a clear sign of the message taking root and the region becoming shortlisted by companies. He says that the university has raised the profile of the region as a business cluster and the year as the European Green Capital has increased interest in the area.
“Up to one third of the contacts this year have been linked to the Green Capital. We are clearly doing the right things, and the long-term work is now starting to bear fruit. I think that the municipalities are now also starting to believe that this is a good path to continue on.”
The Lahti region has clear pull factors, of which Tura mentions the active and developing business clusters in the area, such as the corn, maritime and electric transport cluster, the lower price level of premises compared to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, the retention of labour force as well as the location.
“Passenger traffic by train from Lahti to Helsinki takes three quarters of an hour, the main ports of Finland, Vuosaari and Kotka-Hamina, are at a bit over one hour’s drive away, and deliveries from Lahti to the rest of Finland and vice versa are efficient.”
Companies are also interested in what the region can offer their employees. International schools, nature, the prospects of the area and its leisure time opportunities interest employers just as much as the employees. In this respect, the Lahti region is in a good position.
Cooperation is key
LADEC is in close cooperation and constant dialogue with companies on issues such as land use planning and major investment projects in the region. Even though everything is currently going in the right direction, even more differentiating factors and agility are needed to bring the Lahti region abreast with and past the competing areas. Focusing on the solutions is also important – tenaciously attempting to find a package that meets the company’s needs.
“Often you have to be able to react extremely quickly to enquiries, especially those coming from abroad. Support from political decision-makers is needed so that officials have the authority to prioritise and make quick decisions, if necessary.”
Tura notes that the region cannot be developed or jobs created by competition between municipalities; instead, cooperation is necessary. Jobs in one municipality bring full-time and summer residents, companies in the service sector, tourism and service users to its neighbouring municipalities.
“It is also good for the decision-makers to keep the importance of one’s own work in mind. With their actions, everyone can influence images and spread the message about the pull factors. It is both easy and important to bring up these things in discussions when we’ll have the chance to meet each other again.”
---
Text: Johanna Autio
Image: ISOKuva Panu Rissanen