Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Enterprises to Watch
Pernille Beckmann, mayor of Greve.
Greve Municipality – one of Denmark’s most business-friendly municipalities Greve is a business-friendly municipality that is highly successful in attracting and retaining Danish and foreign companies. A common characteristic of the companies here is that they thrive, grow, and create jobs. Several surveys have shown this, including the Confederation of Danish Industries’ annual survey of business friendliness in the country’s municipalities and VækstVilkår Greve. By Birgit Schaldemose Norman | Photos: Greve Municipality
The companies’ growth and their excellent assessment of Greve’s business friendliness are wonderful news to Pernille Beckmann, mayor of Greve. Since becoming mayor in 2014, she has, together with the City Council, municipal officials and ErhvervsCentret, which serves as a link between the municipality and the local business community, focused on making Greve one of the best places to run a business. With an action-oriented growth policy, Greve Municipality has further boosted ambitions for an even stronger service culture, benefitting the growth and development of the local business community. Good dialogue, close cooperation and a solutionoriented approach to the companies’ needs are in focus. 76 | Issue 95 | December 2016
“A well-functioning business community is important to all of us in Greve. Companies generate growth and jobs and help the municipality create quality in its services to residents. That is why we do our utmost to meet with companies, see things from their perspective and go the extra mile to find solutions,” Beckmann says.
Meeting companies on their own terms Each week, Greve’s mayor makes company visits with a few partners to listen to the companies’ challenges. The aim is to meet the companies with humility and respect for the work they do, with the genuine desire to understand how the municipality can help them to create the best framework for growth. In addition to the company meetings and daily person-
al dialogue, Greve Municipality receives regular feedback from the companies at annual round table meetings with representatives from the business community. As general manager of ErhvervsCentret, Tina Charlotte Koeffoed, Greve’s business and tourism promotion director, is responsible for ensuring that the local companies have fast and easy access to information and help from Greve Municipality through ErhvervsCentret. “Our aim is to meet companies on their own terms. We are here for their sake and that is why we must maintain an active dialogue and close collaboration with them. We are always accessible and do everything we can to answer their questions and solve their problems, or direct them to the appropriate person,” Koeffoed explains. For more information, please visit: www.erhvervscentret.greve.dk www.greve.dk