Coaching project gives timber industry a helping hand

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The project has strengthened many small companies so that they could employ more people and/or let the existing employees stay in the company. Commercial competitiveness has also been strengthened in the companies that have participated in the project. Many of them have subsequently become more focused with their marketing.Kristina Fagerström, Project ManagerAmong the three key goals of the “Coaching Project” was an aim to develop the timber-related industries in the three counties of Småland (Jönköping, Kalmar and Kronoberg), so that companies become more flexible and better skilled, and thus better able to adapt quickly to rapid change.The project’s second goal was to market and raise the profile of the Småland timber industry, and to put it on the map from a commercial point of view. Thirdly, the project successfully aimed to highlight the importance of the timber industry for the region, especially for the region’s small towns, and maximise lobbying for the industry national authorities and other key decision-making bodies for the industry.Boosting competitivenessThe project involved visiting timber industry companies in the region and drawing up a list of training needs. One-hundred and twenty participating companies were then given guidance on how to best develop and grow their businesses.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the “Coaching Project” is EUR 941 166, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 373 665 from the Operational Programme “Småland and the Islands” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.