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The Finland Trade Center
Marcus Moberg does things differently and he likes it that way. At 63, he has a range of expertise in industry that few people can argue with. “I have worked in telecommunications, banking, insurance and the clothing industry,” he explains. __H__. Marcus left industry five years ago to join the Finland Trade Center and has played an important role in developing an extremely sophisticated market research and consulting service for Finish exporters, operated by the Finland Trade Center around the world. Until 1992, the Centers were under the control of the Minister for Foreign Trade. __9__.
Altogether there are over 50 countries with a Finland Trade Center. The UK office, though, says Marcus proudly, is the biggest and the best, without exaggeration. That, he says is because of the team in the office and the strategy they use. Although attached to the embassy, the team operates just like a consultancy. “Our strategy is to concentrate on certain major sectors,” says Marcus. __10__. The last of these means anything involving health, but tends to be mainly software relating to that sector.
__11__. “If people only want a fact-finding service,” he says, “we will help, but I’ll leave it for an office junior to sort out, or suggest contacting our Helsinki office, who are better equipped to offer this service.” Marcus won’t agree to represent the interests of Finnish exporters until his team have investigated them to ensure that they have the right products and resources to fill a particular gap. __12___. “We take it slowly because we have to.”
Finnish enterprises are often very small and are owner-managed, which puts them at a disadvantage when competing on an international scale. Exporting strategies can be a problem when you’re limited in resources and time. __13__. And not only with advice. “The team’s consultancy fee may start with a realistic figure,” he says, “but we often reduce it after taking into account the size and resources of the company and the potential it has in the market once established.
“There are 1,400 Finnish companies already operating in the UK,” says Marcus. “But sometimes you find a company that you feel has an ideal product for the market but is not operating in the UK, so we go and find out why.” __14__. If they are not up to the job, they don’t get any encouragement.
In all his contact with clients, Marcus likes to deal with people face to face. He feels it is important to visit customers to talk to them. “That way there is a lot more interaction and it gives us a chance to look at their financial and human resources.”
A These are telecoms, IT, argo-industry and what is termed “welfare”.
B Marcus and his team do much more than just provide information.
C On the other hand, Marcus won’t represent companies he considers to be poor performers.
D This is where Marcus’s agency can help.
E Neither will he rush a project that he has been commissioned for.
F Now, although still part of the embassy, they’re run by the Finnish Foreign Trade Association.
G One company being helped at the moment has only 20 staff, so that particular criticism is hardly justified.
H This broad experience has left him with an open mind on the way to do business.
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