Filskov Kro was full when Billund Erhverv gathered for this year's general meeting on 20 March.

In addition to approval of the annual accounts, briefing on the budget, etc. four board members were up for election.

Up for election were Jeppe Hebsgaard Laursen – Zebicon, Martin Ebmark – Billund Airport Hotel, Stern Johansen – KG Hansen and Jesper Jensen – Skouniverset who all received re-election.

For the alternate positions, Marianne Thorø, Billund Online and Kira Lykke Reher, MF Energi received re-election.

A resolution was approved at the general meeting that the titles of the chairman and deputy chairman will be changed from now on to chairman of the board and deputy chairman of the board respectively.

At the subsequent constitution, director Jeppe Laursen, Zebicon was again appointed as board leader and Anne-Mette Sørensen, Idento Group as continued deputy board leader.

In his report, chairman Jeppe Laursen touched on the many member-oriented events and activities that the business association has held in the past year, with themes ranging from "the new accounting law", "how we use ChatGPT and artificial intelligence", - and "purchase and sale of your business" to "tourism of the future". He mentioned the new measures within green transition and industrial technology, which are both highly current and also have a great interest among the members.

Jeppe Laursen highlighted the company visits as big draws, and once again congratulated Sealing System, which earlier this year received the Business Promotion Award 2023.

The entrepreneurial efforts and the many measures Billund Erhverv has for newly established companies and future startups also had their place in the report.

Likewise, Billund Erhverv's work with business development of established companies was mentioned, which in 2023 rounded off more than 400 meetings and processes with local companies.

Billund Municipality was mentioned as a very central partner and the chairman of the board spoke about the importance of the tasks Billund Erhverv promises for the Municipality - including "qualified labour", which is closely linked to the efforts to increase settlement. As part of this effort, i.a. mentioned Billund KarriereTour, which in 2023 brought together 500 students from higher education.

The report also highlighted the positive development Billund Erhverv is experiencing on the membership side, with 54 new members joining the association in 2023.

Jeppe Laursen ended the report by telling about the board's work in Billund Erhverv and rounded off by thanking the association's members for their cooperation, support and attention.

"Our committed members are the driving force in Billund Business. It is a pleasure to be board leader of an association where so many contribute actively - and the value it creates is certainly not insignificant. It is the commitment of the members that gives us credibility and credibility when we as an association also seek to inspire our partners and stakeholders and we will do everything we can to continue the positive development" says board leader Jeppe Laursen.

The evening was rounded off with a look into artificial intelligence, when director of the knowledge center Radr Preben Mejer gave an exciting and somewhat awe-inspiring lecture about the electronic future we are already looking into.

The new board can be seen below:

1. Chairman of the board: director Jeppe Hebsgaard Laursen, Zebicon a/s
2. Deputy board leader: director Anne-Mette Sørensen, Idento Group
3. Development director Ronny Kristian Lilienvald, Billund Airport
4. Director Sune Appel, ES Stålindustri Syd
5. Company director Stern Johansen, KG Hansen & Sønner a/s
6. Hotel Manager Martin Ebmark, Zleep Hotel Billund Airport
7. Director Jesper Jensen, SkoUniverset
8. Mayor Stephanie Storbank, Billund Municipality
9. City council member Ann Charlotte Gaardsvig Vilstrup, Billund Municipality

For further information

Jeppe Hebsgaard Laursen
Board leader, Billund Erhverv
T .: 4196 4955
jhl@zebicon.com

Marie Skov Lillelund
Director, Billund Business
T .: 9282 3605
msl@billunderhverv.dk

On Monday 18 March, Billund Erhverv formed the framework for a course where a team of logistics economist students from UCL Business Academy and Professional College in Vejle had to work with logistical issues from two local companies for 12 hours - the course is therefore also called Inno12.

In addition to the logistical part, both issues also had a sustainability perspective.

One of the two local companies was the transport and forwarding company HT Transport, which wanted input on a solution regarding the transition to electric trucks on a fixed route. What will the changeover mean for employees, service, finances and environmental impact? This was the overall problem that the students helped HT Transport find possible answers to.

Clothing manufacturer and retailer Zizzi came up with a completely different problem. Here it was about how to reduce the number of return packages with a focus on reducing return logistics for online sales of swimwear. The return packages today constitute a major resource drain in the company, and this applies both in relation to finances, labor and from a sustainability perspective.

Prior to the Inno12 course on 18 March, the students had been introduced to the companies' problems and have worked with their solution models in class. They started the day by presenting their preliminary results to the companies, who provided feedback, constructive criticism and gave input on how they could imagine the students could work further with their solutions during the day.

Chairman of the board of HT Transport Jørgen Poulsen calls the collaboration with UCL a pure win-win: "In relation to electric trucks, we don't have a lot of knowledge - but we know it's coming. Right now, it would be a very large expense to acquire an electric truck and the infrastructure is also a big challenge, so it is really good to get completely fresh eyes on the issues – eyes that might be able to see some things that the rest of us don't seen. So it gives us as a company a lot, just as it is good for the students to work with real things.” He continues: "And then it may be that there are some of the students who want to come back to our company when they either need an internship or are looking for work after graduation."

"For us, it's about being involved while you have some young fresh minds who want to be inspired and have some concrete examples, but for us it's also about getting out and finding these nuggets of gold that come from outside, and which you might not see for yourself, because you might get a little bit eaten up over time.” says Martin Strøm Jespersen, Logistics & Warehouse Manager at Zizzi.

Martin likes that the setup is very concrete and not so high-flying: "Also, the fact that you work with something in practice and you can use it almost immediately, the moment you start working on it - I think that's super interesting .”

Clothing manufacturer and retailer Zizzi came up with a completely different problem. Here it was about how to reduce the number of return packages with a focus on reducing return logistics for online sales of swimwear. The return packages today constitute a major resource drain in the company, and this applies both in relation to finances, labor and from a sustainability perspective.

Prior to the Inno12 course on 18 March, the students had been introduced to the companies' problems and have worked with their solution models in class. They started the day by presenting their preliminary results to the companies, who provided feedback, constructive criticism and gave input on how they could imagine the students could work further with their solutions during the day.

Amar, who is one of the participating students, gets a lot out of a course like Inno12: "It's great that we are working on real problems - something taken from real life. After all, at school we mostly work with theory, so it is incredibly educational to work so closely with a company that has a real problem that needs to be solved.”

Study coordinator Lene Buhl agrees with Amar: "In the study, it's very much about theory, fictitious tasks and small cases - what it's about at an event like Inno12 is that you link theory and practice, i.e. these are concrete issues, where the students then get the opportunity to use the theoretical toolbox they have learned in the course, and then find out how it can be used in the real world.” She adds: "And of course it's more fun to do tasks that are concrete and where you can ask the companies directly, rather than sitting with theoretical tasks where you don't have the opportunity to ask about anything."

Like Jørgen Poulsen from HT Transport, Lene Buhl also thinks about the slightly more long-term perspectives in collaborating with the companies. "During a day like today, some relationships may be created that can lead to student jobs or internships - the companies can get to know the students in a slightly different way than by receiving an application."

The students ended the day by presenting their solution proposals to the two companies, who could take home concrete examples, inspiration and new ideas.

Both HT Transport and Zizzi were impressed by what the students were able to calculate in a very short time, and especially the quality of the thinking behind it, and the immediate usability of the solution models garnered great praise, and both companies took home ideas that they could continue working with.

With the collaboration, Billund Erhverv wants both to inspire companies and students for new solutions and to create a more practical approach to innovation collaborations.

"The logistics industry faces major competitive challenges and opportunities in the coming years, and with these collaborations we want to help push the solutions.

In addition to the desire for innovative solutions to specific problems, it is also our goal to create a good relationship between the students and our local companies, with a view to possible future collaborations." says director of Billund Erhverv Marie Skov Lillelund.

The business promotion award 2023 was awarded when Billund Erhverv held the annual New Year's cure.

200 business partners and members of Billund Erhverv gathered on 25 January for a New Year's party, where, as usual, the Business Promotion Award was handed out, which this year went to the Grindsted company Sealing System A/S.

The award was motivated by the fact that Sealing System, which moved to Grindsted in 2017, has gone through a really nice and positive development and is also very visible in Billund municipality. The company has managed to come through corona strong and is now looking forward to a new and interesting ownership structure. Both Rolf Tange and Kjeld Østergaard Jensen are dedicated business managers who know their business and are also not afraid to get involved and support locally.

Among other things, Sealing System has been involved in the Billund Career Tour and has opened the doors to the local business community, where they share both insight and knowledge from their production and processes. Sealing System has also taken the lead in several development collaborations, which are helping to move the industry.

Since 2003

The business promotion award has been awarded since 2003 and is given to a company, an association or a private person, in recognition of a special effort that promotes the business world. Behind the award are Vestjysk bank, Billund Municipality, JydskeVestkysten and Billund Erhverv, who want to recognize those who do something extraordinary for development in the municipality.

'We want to pay tribute to our local heroes - those who do something special to strengthen our business development in the area. We emphasize that the person, association or company that receives the Business Promotion Award both runs a proper business and also does it with the heart in the right place' says chairman of Billund Erhverv Jeppe Laursen.

At the presentation, a retrospective was shown of the last 20 years' recipients of the award, who all have in common that they have shown a special commitment and strengthened the municipality's growth and development.

Photo: René Lind Gammelmark

Jørgen Guldager is one of Billund Erhverv's many mentors, and as a serial entrepreneur he knows how important it is to get off to a good start.

In his time, Jørgen helped start up the wholesale company Agrometer, he has got Marmorline for Grindsted, he has run an art gallery both at home and in Blåvand, and then he has started a myriad of what he himself calls small projects.

"I have always had an interest in being curious about starting something new, and I recently made a small count," says Jørgen Guldager and continues: "I have been involved either as owner, part owner or member of the board of almost 20 companies.”

Jørgen Guldager calls himself an entrepreneurial type, and he wants to bring his entrepreneurial experience into play with new entrepreneurs, so that he can help them get started as best as possible.

"I think over time you acquire some ability to see if a business model can work, or if you just have to be a little careful," says Jørgen, who has also gotten off to a bad start himself. He says with a smile: "Yes, it has given you a hard time at times, but it is also a valuable experience that you can share. "

Billund Erhverv has 17 mentors attached, all of whom can guide new entrepreneurs and help them find their way around life as a self-employed person.

If you are an entrepreneur and would like to hear more about Billund Erhverv's mentoring scheme, you can contact business developer Paul-Erik Hensgen on 9215 0109 and peh@billunderhverv.dk

You can find all our mentors here

As part of DI's annual business friendliness survey, in 2023 there has been an increased focus on international labor in recognition that this is of increasing importance for e.g. companies' opportunity for growth. The lack of qualified labour, both skilled and highly specialized, is indicated by many companies as the biggest obstacle to growth and the companies want the municipalities to focus on this.