Best growth-in-enterprise in Northern-Norway!

Finnmarksløpet AS is selected as winner of the 2009 Growth-in-the-North prize for businesses. - Unbelievable, but true! Among the 58 nominees from the three northernmost counties; Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, we ended up as winners, says an enthusiastic Gro Anett Olaussen.

The newspaper Nordlys and "Landsdelsutvalget's" aim is to stimulate development and growth in Nortern Norway, and make visible the businesses that succeed. The jury says: Considering the criteria, this is a worthy winner: Finnmarksløpet is the story about a project that started out based on volunary work only, and that has gradually become an international commercial enterprise and which is still growing.

- This is absolutely fantastic, says Olaussen to www.finnmarkslopet.no. - A surprise and a big recognition to all those who believe and have believed in Finnmarksløpet over the years. We share the prize with our collaborators within the business-world, the municipalities, Finnmark County, Innovasjon Norge, all our fantastic volunteers, participants and handlers, our Board and owners, the administration, Alta Trekkhundklubb (the Alta Sled-dog Club) and the sport itself - long distance sled-dog racing. All the checkpoints and the local communities that partake to create "Finnmark i Fest" when the race is on, says Olaussen.

The 58 companies from Northern Norway that were part of the competition are the best businesses in each county ranked by the following criteria based on the numbers for the years 2006-2008:
- More than NOK 1 million in sales.
- Belonging to Northern Norway.
- A minimum of 20 percent growth both in sales and profit every year over the last three years.
- Has delivered financial statements on time.
- The  winner shall, in addition to ecenomic growth, be assessed by the jury for having a good product or service, as well as being appraised for having the best opportunity for regional, national and international growth.

Photo: Gro Anett Olaussen receives the prize from Eirik Fiva, director of Landsdelsutvalget for North-Norway and North Trøndelag. Photo: Karl Eirik Steffensen, Altaposten

Jury members: Siri Bjerke, area director for Innovasjon Norge, Eirik Fiva, director of Landsdelsutvalget, Tormod Harila, general manager for Harila Toyota og Grete Kristoffersen, general manager for Næringsforeningen in the Tromsø region.

This is the most spectacular awarding-of-prizes that I have experienced during the five years that we have rewarded someone this prize, says Hans Kristian Amundsen, editor of Nordlys - the regional newspaper located in Tromsø.

Finnmarksløpet AS wins NOK 250.000 – given by Landsdelsutvalget.

Read more at the homwpages of Landsdelsutvalget: klikk her and the newspaper Nordlys: klikk her