Only three companies from Lolland-Falster and South Zealand are among Denmark’s 1,000 largest companies on Børsen’s annual list.
But that does not lead Mikkel Wesselhoff, CEO of Business Lolland-Falster, to paint a gloomy picture of the local business community.
He believes the list overlooks some of the region’s major workplaces because the companies’ headquarters are located elsewhere.
- The list does not give an accurate picture. It measures revenue, and revenue is recorded where the headquarters are located. We have few corporate headquarters on Lolland-Falster. That means major workplaces such as Lalandia, Vestas, Alfa Laval and Scandlines are not counted here, he says.
The three companies on the list are Storstroem Bridge Joint Venture in Vordingborg, RWE Wind Services Denmark in Rødbyhavn and DLF Beet Seed in Holeby. The highest-ranked company is number 910.
Børsen business editor Morten Jasper has told FemernBusiness that the region has failed to create or attract new companies large enough to offset the loss of the industrial giants of the past.
Wesselhoff strongly disagrees with that assessment. He points out that jobs are located where production takes place and says both the Fehmarn construction project and Vestas have contributed to many years of employment growth.
Even so, he sees a clear challenge for the region.
- That said, headquarters do matter. Without them, the region becomes vulnerable to decisions made elsewhere.
According to Wesselhoff, Business Lolland-Falster is therefore working towards balanced growth in which large companies, major projects and the region’s small and medium-sized businesses all contribute to development.
