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Lighting company’s exports skyrocket with help from the Enterprise Europe Network

  • The turnover of Turku-based TSR Group increased after starting export sales
  • Contact to Turku Science Park Ltd led to quick action in 2016
  • Enterprise Europe Network supported TSR Group in internationalisation

When Finnish lighting company TSRGroup was looking to export its flagship product WorkLite to foreign markets, it turned to the Enterprise Europe Network for help. Since then, the company’s turnover has increased dramatically and it has expanded to 13 markets across Europe and beyond.

TSR Group provides lighting solutions for every type of construction site. Its range of luminaires includes light masts, solid lattice masts, floodlights, LED throwers and its flagship product, the shock-resistant WorkLite™ work site lights, which can withstand varying worksite conditions, vibration and impacts.

The power of the search engine

‘We had just started our exporting drive in 2016 and through a random search on the Internet; I came across the Enterprise Europe Network. I got in touch and things started happening almost immediately,’ said TSR Group’ss export manager Mikael Niittymäki.

Together with Network contact Olli Mankonen of Turku Science Park, Niittymäki created a profile on the Enterprise Europe Network’s Partnering Opportunities Database. Not long after, an export agent in Belgium contacted him and they promptly signed a commercial agreement, which has been extremely lucrative. Niittymäki also found export agents in Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden with the help of the Network.

Turku Science Park’s Mankonen, whose role involves enhancing companies’ internationalisation prospects, also arranged for TSR Group to actively participate in several networking seminars, while providing ongoing advisory services. ‘From the outset, we believed in the company. They have competitive products and a professional approach to internationalisation. They are simply doing good work,’ he said.

‘The Enterprise Europe Network has made my life easier,’ said Niittymäki. ‘They were 100 % capable of putting me in touch with the right people interested in our products. It was straightforward and a hands-on approach – that’s the way I like it.’

More staff, higher turnover, new premises

As a result of the Network’s assistance, TSR Group’s turnover has increased from EUR 2.9 million in 2016 to EUR 4.1 million in 2017. In addition, it has hired extra staff and even acquired a similar electrical appliances company just last year.

Niittymäki is looking to further expand across Europe and as far afield as Canada. ‘We thought about expanding to the United States, but we decided to focus on Canada instead,’ he said.

Moreover, the company needs to move its manufacturing base to new premises due to its success and is looking for suitable plots of land. The future is shining bright for this lighting company.

More on Enterprise Europe Network

Start-ups are essential for the growth of Europe’s economy. As part of this year’s EU Open for Business campaign, the European Commission with the support of the Enterprise Europe Network is reaching out to nearly 2 million SMEs in Latvia, Romania, Finland, Croatia and Sweden.

The Enterprise Europe Network is the world’s largest support network for SMEs with international ambitions. Its 600 local member organisations provide advisory, partnership and innovation services to help small businesses grow internationally. In Turku Business Region the Enterprise Europe Network’s services are provided by Turku Science Park Ltd.