• Several interviews

Meet business people from Åmål

Name: Arian Jalal Moved to Åmål 1990. Lives here with his wife Marielle and two sons (6 and 11). Came to Sweden 1984 from northern Iraq, Kurdistan.   Company: HamnCompagniet Restaurant and night club since 2001, eight employees during low season – 20 during high season. www.hamncompagniet.nu Why did you set up your company in Åmål? In 1990 a friend of mine asked me to be a partner in a restaurant in Åmål. We set up Restaurant Hörnan and I moved from Karlstad to Åmål. After a while, Hörnan felt too small, so my wife Marielle and I restored and built out an old building by the lake which is now HamnCompagniet.

How do you find the business climate in Åmål?
It’s very good. When we built out HamnCompagniet it was a major project with a lot of building permits, paperwork etc. but it went really smoothly. An advantage with a small town like Åmål is that you know everybody. A disadvantage for us restaurant owners is that we are dependent on the season. I’m a member of the local association ”Putting Åmål in the Center” and also the Swedish Retail Trade Association. I think it’s good to be involved.

What advice do you have for those who want to do business here or are thinking about setting up a company here? I think the restaurant branch is already saturated. For a small town there are a lot of restaurants to choose from. If someone wants to open a restaurant he or she should do a thorough preliminary study to see if there is a need.

Name: Robert van der Ven, Managing Director Moved from Holland to Åmål in March, 2007 with his wife and two sons (13 and 16). Company: Hull Manufacturers Scandinavia AB Boat construction, grounded 2007. 40 employees plus 20 more starting in July and October who are being trained at the moment. 100 % subsidiary of Najadvarvet AB www.najad.se Why did you set up your company in Åmål? When Najad’s owner, Alfred van Wincoop, was looking for a central location for the factory and contacted Åmål, the municipality was very open, accommodating and helpful. They even helped me and my family to move here. Also, there is a good available workforce in Åmål.

How do you find the business climate in Åmål?

Very good. It’s easy to work with the municipality. They offer a lot of help and the distance is short when there are questions or concerns about the company.

What advice do you have for those who want to do business here or are thinking about setting up a company here? There is a market in Åmål for producers of middle products. So, suppliers could set up companies here. It would be very good to have them here in Åmål. Take direct contact with the municipality, Kurt Svensson and Susanne Korduner*. They are very open to new ideas.