See or rewatch the highlights from Billund Erhverv's New Year's cure 2024
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
In 2018, Mads Kejlberg studied engineering at VIA University College in Horsens. In the same year, the school participated in Billund KarriereTour TECH, which at the time still went by the name Billund Tech Tour.
One of the places Mads had to visit that day was Davinci 3D in Billund, and that visit ended up meaning a lot for his career and place of residence.
"The year after the visit to Billund, we had to apply for an internship, and then I remembered that it was really cool at Davinci in terms of technology," says Mads Kejlberg, who continues with a smile "I myself had a healthy interest in 3D printing and had built my own printer at home and things like that, and then I agreed with myself that I wanted to apply for an internship here - and I got it. It ended up being really good! I was allowed to try a lot of different things – from participating in customer visits to outright engineering work.”
When Mads started his internship at Davinci 3D, it happened almost at the same time as there was a leap in the technological development in 3D printing. The industry began to use 3D printing to a greater extent, but there were not yet many providers of 3D printing in high end quality, there were actually only 3 major providers here in Denmark. Mads Kejlberg explains: "There were many who offered FDM print, which you also know from schools, they have a lot of printers standing around, which just run all the time, so it is difficult to compete with them. At Davinci, we focused on the more expensive solutions that require a little more capital and concentrated on series production rather than just prototypes.”
When Mads has finished his internship, he is offered a student assistant job, where he gets a computer to take home and can help with various construction tasks from home while he completes his education. "It then happens that the engineer who is in the company quits, and then it ends up that most of the construction tasks fall to me, at the same time as I am writing my bachelor's, so I got a lot of work alongside my studies .” says Mads, and elaborates: "It meant that I got a start on a number of good projects and got various clients going, then it was somewhat in the cards that after completing my education I would have to come out to Davinci 3D to start the engineering department properly up again.”
Davinci 3D had in the meantime become part of SP Group, and it was obvious that the Billund company would function as SP Group's development house, Mads Kejlberg talks about the changes: "We again had to have more engineers in-house, and we have then got slightly different employees with specialties in plastics, construction and calculations.”
Today, Mads Kejlberg is a team leader at Davinci 3D and he has helped recruit new employees in connection with the Billund Career Tour.
He recommends other tech companies to join Billund KarriereTour: "If you need to recruit, or perhaps just want to draw attention to your company in relation to relevant fields of study, Billund KarriereTour is really good. You come into contact with young people who have just finished their education and who are hungry for good jobs. That is really good."
Mads Kejlberg is sure that he has landed in the right place, and he decided to move to Billund with his family this summer.
"I was commuting back and forth between Horsens and Billund, and as I got bigger areas of responsibility, a little more hours were also put in at the workplace. It became difficult for me to feel that I was present enough at home, well enough I was on when I got home, but when there is only an hour and a half before the kids go to sleep, you don't get much out of it. .” it comes from Mads. "Billund is a city with many workplaces, and that helped us dare to move here. My wife is currently on maternity leave with the youngest, but she already has a job in mind. And after all, Billund is a fantastic city for the children – they have settled in quickly, and once the children have settled in, it is also easier for us adults to make our lives work.”
"And it's almost Halloween!". Mads lights up with a broad smile: "You have to say that - here in Billund, you really get into Halloween. Because there are so many internationals living in Billund, there are more people who like it. So it was a bit of an experience to have the big boy out and rustle with him, even though he probably got a little scared once in a while - it was a huge experience."
Billund KarriereTour is organized by Billund Erhverv and is held every autumn. There are 2 tracks in the Billund Career Tour, respectively TECH, which is aimed at students within the tech industry, and TOURISM, which is targeted at students within the experience industry.
If you want to know more about Billund KarriereTour, you can contact Marianne K. Thomsen from Billund Erhverv at mkt@billunderhverv.dk and 2269 2498.
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.
At Billund Erhverv, we also have a strong focus on attracting qualified labor, both by making visible the many opportunities for jobs in the municipality for students through, for example, Billund CareerTour Tech and Billund CareerTour Tourism and through Settlement Coordinator Marianne Thomsen's daily work of providing hands-on help to the companies' new employees from near and far. International employees in particular need help in the process of moving to Denmark and navigating the Danish system, but companies can also get help in this process. And we are delighted that the companies in Billund Municipality show great satisfaction with the service available in Billund Municipality.
In Billund Municipality, 15% of employees are international compared to a national average of 12%, and we are only just below the Copenhagen area, where 16% of employees are international. This is a development from 6% in 2012 to 15% in 2023, and there is no indication that this development will stop here. 'I find that several small and medium-sized companies contact me because they are either considering or have employed employees from abroad' says Marianne Thomsen, '..and many come here with their families'. Often the employees have been referred to the settlement coordinator through networks at the workplace, but there are also local companies that book an appointment for their newly hired international employees as soon as they are on their way to Denmark, so that they can get a good start in Billund Municipality - and thus hopefully choosing to stay.
On 26 October, Billund KarriereTour TECH was held, where almost 250 students from VIA Aarhus, VIA Horsens, SDU, Aarhus University, Business Academy Dania, EASV, Rybners, UCL and Business Academy Midwest visited 8 companies in Billund municipality.
On 9 November it was the experience industry's turn, when 250 students from Erhvervsakademi Aarhus, Erhvervsakademi Dania, UCL and Erhvervsakademi SydVest participated in Billund CareerTour TOURISM.
It was a fantastic few days, where interest and enthusiasm were constantly in the air - you could really feel the students' enthusiasm for their subject.
In the afternoon, everyone met at Billund Erhverv (TECH) and LEGO House (TOURISM), where a small hour of mini fair was planned, where the companies were represented with a stand, so that the students could clarify the last questions and make contact with possible future employers.
That's what the students say
Valdemar Sommer
Mechanical engineer – VIA Horsens
"It was a really nice day. I got to talk to several of the companies here at the end, and got good ideas for future projects.”
Tippi Lyndrup
Mechanical engineer – Aarhus University
"It was super exciting to see the differences between the smaller companies' production apparatus and then LEGO, and then it was great to have a meeting here at the end, where you could talk to companies and other students."
Ahmad Ishmael
Production technologist – EAMV Herning
"It was an interesting tour around the various companies, and there was a lot of information - and it's pretty cool to talk to the companies at the end."
Nadja Blytner
Service economics – Aarhus Business Academy
"It was great to feel that the companies were interested in it and really want us to come to them, and it was really great that there were a number of technical terms we could understand. And then it was nice to get a look behind the scenes"
Andreas V Knudsen
IHM student – UCL
"You got a lot of information and insight you don't normally get, and then there were good insights into history. The companies were good at answering questions.”
The companies the students visited were:
Billund Career Tour TECH
Anmasi, Billund Aquaculture, CK Produktion, Davinci 3D, HN Group, LEGO, Stansomatic and Zebicon.
Billund Career Tour TOURISM
LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Hotel, Lalandia and LEGO House.
Billund Career Tour is organized by Billund Erhverv and supported by Billund Municipality and Ole Kirk's Fond.
If you have any questions about the organizational aspects of the Billund Career Tour, you can contact Marianne K. Thomsen at mkt@billunderhverv and 2269 2498.
A collaboration between a number of local companies, UCL Business Academy and Professionshøjskole in Vejle and Billund Business has resulted in a new training course in Billund.
Billund municipality has a large concentration of actors within the service, hotel and tourism industry, this led to the idea of creating a targeted training course to strengthen both employees and the companies.
Head of Education Leif Bojesen from UCL explains how the collaboration came about: "Under the heading 'Lifelong learning', we are constantly working to develop our teaching formats so that they are adapted to business and students. We would like to be able to offer flexible upskilling in relation to requirements and wishes.” After participating in the Billund Career Tour TOURISM, Leif Bojesen contacted Billund Erhverv to discuss the possibilities for the establishment of targeted training within the tourism and experience area in the municipality. "We agreed that the first step had to be to make contact with some of the actors within the industry, and this was very positively received - we have created a model where the teaching can be organized in such a way that it is possible for employees to train , at the same time as they carry out their jobs," concludes Leif Bojesen.
"We are incredibly happy that companies look positively at the opportunity, and we see it as a fantastic opportunity for our companies to both attract and retain talented employees," says director of Billund Business Marie Skov Lillelund, and continues "It is desired that in the long term, both Service Economics training and Academy training in service and experiences can be offered.”
The courses are offered as individual subjects to ensure the greatest possible flexibility in the course. Planning and implementation takes place in close dialogue with the companies, so that periods of low season and closure periods can be used as best as possible - for example for further training of employees.
The first group of students in the subject 'Service' started classes at Hotel Refborg in Billund on Monday 6 November, and they will have completed the course with an exam in December.
Lalandia in Billund is one of the companies that has offered its employees further training, and HR manager Lene Stejnicher has no doubts about the value: "We see it as part of the career plan for our talented employees - we want to keep them with us, and therefore it is important that we can offer them skills training and the development of competences. The education model, which has been created through this collaboration, is absolutely optimal, both in terms of flexibility and content."
In addition to Lalandia, Hotel Hedemarken and LEGOLAND Hotel also have employees on the first team.
Billund Municipality's mayor welcomes the collaboration with UCL Vejle.
"I am concerned that we provide the right framework conditions so that we support the growing pains of our dynamic business community. In this connection, it is important that we collaborate crosswise, and I am sure that together with UCL Vejle we can gain important insights that we can use to strengthen the framework conditions for running a business in Billund municipality", says Stephanie Storbank .
Søren Christensen is the owner of the company StrokeImaging Solutions ApS, and a year ago he and his family decided to move from Sweden to Denmark. They chose to buy a home in Billund, and we would like to know why it was precisely Billund that was chosen as their new home municipality.
Søren Christensen started studying medicine in 1996, after just over 3 years in medical school, he saw an advertisement looking for engineering students. "It was a poster like We Want You, and I thought it would be very fun to hear about - and to make a long story short, yes, I replaced the last 3 years in medical school with 2 years in the engineering program.” says Søren, and continues: "It is often the case with the type of work I do that the engineers have difficulty understanding the medical aspects of it, and conversely doctors have difficulty with the technical aspects at the lowest level."
This gives Søren a clear advantage, because he has knowledge from both worlds, and thus can both understand the doctors' scientific articles and the technical aspects of the programming.
In addition, Søren has completed a Ph.D. at the Center for Integrative Neuroscience at Aarhus University Hospital, he says: "When you get a PhD, they want you to travel for a year - so I went to Australia and ended up in a department where they did something with a stroke, i.e. blood clots in the brain.", he continues: "I ended up getting a job in the department while I was still working on my PhD, as a kind of research engineer - I finished the PhD and stuck around in Australia doing clinical studies until we moved to the US in 2012.”
After 7 years in the USA, Søren Christensen and his wife would like to move to Denmark, but as the wife is from Australia, there are very strict rules regarding settling in the country. "It is difficult for non-EU citizens to be allowed to enter Denmark, but luckily you can use the more lenient EU rules in the rest of Europe," says Søren. "That's why we chose to move to Sweden, where I then also started independently as a consultant."
Last year they had the opportunity to move to Denmark, and since Søren Christensen's mother lives in Vejle, it was obvious to find something nearby.
3 crucial things
There were 3 very specific things that made Søren Christensen and his family choose to come to Billund. "The International School was absolutely central - it was clearly the one that made the difference." He continues: "Then in Billund you could also buy a house that was affordable, i.e. house prices that hadn't completely taken off, and last but not least that there are internationals in the area, so there was someone to get in touch with for my wife, who is Australian after all. Those were the 3 things that definitely decided it.”
When the family then arrived in Billund, several unique qualities appeared, which Søren would like to highlight: "When we came to Billund, it exceeded expectations in all areas! Everything is close, everything is only 5 minutes away... It's hard to find something that doesn't take 5 minutes to drive down to." and then he adds with a smile: "And then you have the airport just around the corner, so you can quickly get to a bigger city, if that's what you miss - my wife is mostly into big cities, so..."
Søren Christensen also highlights one thing that is completely unique to Billund: "The international culture in Billund is really good. Both via the International School, where you quickly build a network with other parents, and the international community in Billund. You quickly come into contact with others from the international environment – there is a super culture of integration in the city, which is really cool in terms of getting in touch with others. We did not expect that in a city of Billund's size.”
About StrokeImaging Solutions
StrokeImaging Solutions is a company where Søren helps detect blood clots in the brain via software. He explains: "When you get symptoms of a blood clot in the brain, it's about getting treated as soon as possible. During this treatment, some images are taken of the brain to find out whether it is a blood clot or a hemorrhage.” he continues: "Today, it is generally the case that if you come to the hospital many hours after the blood clot occurred, special scans are required to be sure that you can benefit from the treatment. Unfortunately, it is not the case that you can just look at the scan to see if the patient will benefit from the treatment, an analysis must first be made, and that is what I do – I develop the software that analyzes and image processes the scans.”
StrokeImaging Solutions became a member of Billund Erhverv earlier this year, when Søren Christensen sees opportunities in the business network: "When you sit alone in a small office, you don't meet many other business people, so for me it's really good to be part of a network , where it is possible to meet others with whom you can spar - It may be difficult to find someone specifically from my industry, but it could be if you wanted to start something with the internet, web, AI or the like." Søren concludes.
Billund Erhverv's settlement coordinator Marianne K. Thomsen helps movers into a place in Billund municipality, and is always ready to answer questions about everything from municipal waste sorting to schools and day care centers to vacant homes and houses for sale.
Contact Marianne at mkt@billunderhverv.dk and 2269 2498.
Kurt Andersen, Camilla Andersen Bojsen and Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk took the decision last year to throw themselves into the establishment of a new independent real estate agency in Billund municipality.
A trip to the hot tub during a holiday home laid the seed for the establishment of the BoGodt broker, Kurt Andersen explains with a smile: "We are on a family trip to a holiday home - I am Camilla's uncle and Lucas is her little brother - we sit one evening in the hot tub in Blåvand , and then it sort of comes up that Camilla and Lucas have been thinking about their own real estate agency, and then I said: I just need to hear a little more about that.” and he continues: "Camilla was at the time doing another education, Lucas was doing the broker's education and I was in a very good job. So they had to finish their studies and I had to leave my current position. So from the first conversations in the jacuzzi until we opened here in March 2023, a good year and a half goes by."
Not part of a chain
The BoGodt broker is not part of a larger chain, but is completely independent, and there has never been any doubt that this was what was wanted. "It only took us half an hour to decide that we should be independent" comes from Kurt, and Camilla adds: "There are of course many advantages to being part of a chain, but as an independent you have the freedom to manage your business. Lucas and I have both been associated with larger chains, so we know the pros and cons of the good and the bad – so we quickly decided that we wanted to have our own style and do things our way.”
Being able to do things the way you want is precisely one of the BoGodt broker's greatest strengths. Strong local knowledge and the personal dialogue during the entire house sale are cornerstones of the company, and so it is important for treklovet to be down to earth and at eye level with the customers.
"Lucas and Kurt have actually worn work clothes, and been out to a customer to shine up the garden and home, as the customer did not have the strength to do it themselves" comes from Camilla Andersen Bojsen, and Kurt Andersen adds laughing: "...and Lucas has even given a customer a hug already on the first visit – he has an amazing ability to wade into people with clogs on.”
When you love your work
There is no doubt that the 3 brokers are passionate about what they do. They beam with pride and enthusiasm when they talk about their company and the industry in general. For Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk, it is a dream come true. “In 7th grade, when all the other boys wanted to be soccer players or something, I dreamed of becoming a real estate agent. I have a huge interest in homes, and I simply love being allowed to sell a home.” he continues: "A property is a home for the seller, so it is important that you have empathy and manage to put yourself in the seller's place - for many it is really difficult to sell a house that you have lived in for many years. "
Kurt adds: "We have examples of someone we have sold a house for still contacting us or stopping by with a piece of cake - we have simply developed a friendly relationship with several customers. It is simply so nice, and it confirms to us that we are doing something right.”
The BoGodt broker is not afraid to try something new and follow developments, Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk elaborates: "There are many things happening around us, and we try to follow along and find out what works for us and what doesn't. For example, the various social media, where new platforms have appeared... We have met several people from the industry who tell us that you should do it this way and that way - but we like to do things in a different and not so conservative way. We decide for ourselves how to market our homes, and I find that liberating. We are keeping pace with the future, and that is going to benefit us.”
100 years of local knowledge
Camilla, Lucas and Kurt believe 100% that the BoGodt broker has a bright future in Billund municipality. Kurt usually says that they have a combined 100 years of local knowledge, and the small family company is already doing well in the order books.
The BoGodt broker got help with the start-up at Billund Erhverv, where business developer Marianne Hestbech Witte has taken the company through a startup process. Kurt Andersen laughs: "Marianne has helped us a lot, but every time we have had a meeting with her, we go home with a lot of new tasks under our arms... it has simply been really good."
Lucas interjects: "We also make a lot of use of the events and the TOOL BOXes, where we get inspiration and knowledge for our marketing in particular."
If you are also thinking about starting your own business, you can contact our business developers Marianne Hestbech Witte at mhw@billunderhverv.dk and 4414 5550, and Paul Erik Hensgen on peh@billunderhverv.dk and 9215 0109.
Anesco is an English company that was established in 2010, and they currently have approx. 200 employees employed in England. In the beginning, the core product was solar cells for rooftops, but today the company is concentrating on the development and establishment of land-based solar parks and so-called battery parks, where you can store power from the energy grid and deliver it back when it is needed.
In Denmark, the focus is currently exclusively on solar parks.
Easy access, industry and and development
When Gert Vognstrup Kristensen had to find out where the office should be located, he first of all looked at southern Jutland: "When Anesco was to start up in Denmark, we had to find a place where we could have a base, and I was given the task of finding a location for our office. I previously had an office around the capital area, but since our customers at Anesco are typically farmers etc., who are located in rural areas and often here in Jutland, it would make the most sense to find an office in Jutland." Gert says and continues: "The reason we chose Billund is that we wanted to establish ourselves in a city that is not too big and that is easy to get to, that's one part - the other part is that Billund is an exciting place, because there is already a lot of industry and a lot of development. In addition, Billund Erhverv has been very good at welcoming us, and that has certainly contributed to our choosing Billund over other surrounding towns".
Help to collect from Billund Erhverv
Billund Erhverv helped Gert get started with the start-up, and was also able to offer him a temporary desk. "I contacted Billund Erhverv, and was invited to a talk, where Billund Erhverv partly had some good offers for us, and partly welcomed us very well, and then they had the opportunity to offer us a temporary place to sit here in the start-up phase,” says Gert and continues: "Here is a really good environment, where you feel that there is someone who kind of helps and supports you, and there is someone you can talk to. So when you come as a single person with this company you have to start with, it's really nice to have a place where there are more people around you."
Despite the size of the parent company, Gert Vognstrup Kristensen describes himself as a start-up: "Although Anesco can be considered a large company, we start very small when we open in other countries. Typically, a single employee is responsible for a start-up. We have branches in the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and now also in Denmark - so even though the company is really big, I sit completely alone in everyday life and need the support and sparring I can get through Billund Erhverv."
Gert is very happy that the choice fell on Billund, which in his view is the perfect place for an Anesco branch. It has also been shown that Billund Airport is a huge advantage compared to the choice of Billund: "We use the airport a lot, and here Billund Airport is incredibly easy to travel from and to" Gert smiles and continues: "It actually only takes me 30 minutes from when I leave the office until I'm standing outside at the plane, and that's also a huge advantage."
If you are a start-up company or entrepreneur, you can contact Billund Erhverv. We can e.g. offer free business development, sparring and you have the opportunity to get a desk in our office environment. Read more about our entrepreneurial efforts here.
You can also contact our business developers Paul-Erik Hensgen at peh@billunderhverv.dk og 9215 0109 and Marianne Hestbech Witte on mhw@billunderhverv.dk og 4414 5550.
Billund Municipality scores highly on the perceived quality of life among its residents
In the past six years, Realdania and the Knowledge Center Bolius have published a report on 'The Danes in the built environment', which is based on a larger questionnaire survey. It is asked, among other things, into how satisfied we are with our neighborhood and whether we would recommend the area to a friend or colleague – both questions that Billund municipality scores highly on.
Despite the fact that Danes' perceived quality of life has generally fallen, Billund Municipality bursts into the top 5 of municipalities with a high quality of life – last year the municipality could not even be found in the top 20. Common to almost all municipalities that are in the top 10 is that , are smaller communities or even what we term fringe Denmark. It is thus not in the big city that the inhabitants experience the highest quality of life.
81% of those questioned in Billund municipality agree or partly agree with the statement 'I am proud of the area I live in' and they value safety and access to nature highly.
Settlement coordinator Marianne Thomsen recognizes this image from the inquiries she receives from potential movers who emphasize that their children can move safely on the playgrounds and that there are green areas available.
"I often hear as a reason for moving to Billund Municipality that people want to move closer to their workplace and thereby save time on transport", says Marianne Thomsen. The survey also asks what would make people move again, to which the most frequent answers are changed family relationships and finances, which are often connected to job security.
This underlines the importance of both having the homes that are in demand (also in case of divorce, for example) AND having many different companies in the municipality, so that we do not necessarily lose citizens if individual companies cut staff.
