“Woodheart” is a woodworking company based in the Valmiera region, specializing in the production of custom-made furniture, doors, interior elements, and other non-standard solutions. From a small family business, it has grown into an export-capable manufacturing company with around 50 employees, and its products have already reached 18 foreign markets. Currently, exports account for approximately 80% of the company’s turnover, with the most important markets being Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands.
State support instruments have played a significant role in the company’s development. Cooperation with the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia began already during the company’s early stages through the business incubation programme at the LIAA representative office in Valmiera, where the company received both practical support and consultations regarding its first steps in entrepreneurship. Later, the company also used other support instruments that helped expand production capacity and strengthen competitiveness in export markets.
“In the early stages of the company, it was very important not to be left alone with your ideas and questions. Within the incubator environment, we could receive practical advice as well as reassurance that we were moving in the right direction. Later, support programmes gave us the opportunity to invest in equipment and development faster than we would have been able to using only our own resources, because we started without investors and without significant starting capital. It was precisely our own work and state support instruments that helped the company grow,” says company manager Tālis Grinbergs.
State support for digitalization has been particularly important for the company. Today, a large part of “Woodheart’s” processes are planned and designed digitally, allowing the company to prepare drawings more accurately, organize production more efficiently, reduce the risk of errors, and fulfil customer orders more quickly. The equipment required for these tasks was purchased specifically with the help of digitalization support programmes. Moreover, as the company points out, in the segment of custom and non-standard projects, this has also become an important competitiveness factor.
The company manager emphasizes that using support instruments is not as complicated as many entrepreneurs tend to believe. Most project applications and the necessary documentation were prepared by the company itself, without involving external consultants.
“Many entrepreneurs still think that applying for support programmes is too complicated or that it is impossible without consultants. Our experience shows the opposite – if there is at least a willingness to look into it a little, it is completely manageable independently. As a company, we are very open and friendly – we do not see everyone around us as competitors. In the end, the more strong and growing companies Latvia has, the better it is for the entire business environment. That is why we do not hide our experience and are happy to share it with others,” says Tālis Grinbergs.
This informational material was produced with financial support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility project “Digital Services Platform for Business Development Promotion”. The author bears sole responsibility for the content of the article. The views expressed in the material do not reflect the official opinion of the European Union or the European Commission.
