Why did you invest in Danbor initially?
"Fundamentally, Danbor's scope of work was a good match for us: Supply base, logistics business, warehouses - it was a fairly obvious match for our core business.
At the same time, the position in Esbjerg was also central to our future development. Esbjerg is the capital of wind, and it was an important starting point for us for the transformation we could foresee.”
Was it a good idea?
"Denmark was one of the biggest investments in the group's international expansion. Everything was fine and we had a reasonable business until the oil and gas crisis occurred. Maersk Oil was sold, all development activities came to a stop, and expenses was on the agenda everywhere. Thus, we had some tough years with significant losses.
However, when your roots date back to 1965, as ours do, you know that there are ups and downs along the way. What is crucial is that you have skilled people, the right facilities and the right location. And we have that in Esbjerg.
Today, we can see that the crisis helped us. That it was the writing on the wall: We couldn't just sit back and rest and rely on the core business.
We have grown from the crisis, both in new markets and new services. It has been hard, absolutely, but today we are stronger in wind, projects, defense, and several other areas. For example, building the House of Offshore Innovation and seeing property management and facilities as a business area was strong business acumen. Jesper and his team have worked hard and smart to develop the business, and we stand on a firmer ground today, both in the day-to-day business and in the long-term perspective."
How do you see NorSea Denmark developing?
"NorSea Denmark is an important spearhead into Europe in general, which from Denmark offers a different market perspective from what we have in Norway.
Especially in the wind industry, Denmark has some very valuable capabilities. Denmark has taken the lead in the green transition and is a central player in the development of the green infrastructure. I see NorSea Denmark as an important building block in the future strategy. No one knows how it will develop, but with NorSea Denmark in Esbjerg, we are in a unique position to influence the development from the middle of the world's wind capital.”
Are there clear cultural similarities and differences between NorSea in Norway and NorSea in Denmark?
"I believe the mix of Norway and Denmark is a strength. We understand each other and cooperating and utilizing our individual strengths for the common good.
In NorSea Group, there is an entrepreneurial attitude in general. We have a considerable span; if it is within oil and gas or logistics, we would like to be involved! Entrepreneurship is very strong in Denmark, too, where you are always on the lookout for new customers, new products and better quality.
The culture in NorSea Denmark is different from what we have in Norway. In Norway, having consensus is important, in Denmark it is ok to be more bossy and more direct. You have a flat structure like in Norway, but still it seems like it is also ok and accepted that there is someone who decides.
Danes are clearly more opinionated than Norwegians are. There is courage and initiative, which I really like - but it just requires a little control when you are Norwegian," John Stangeland concludes with a smile.
