Today I want to take you on a short journey through – Japan, heroin prices, and kindergartens.

Japan

We start with a little self-praise, because in the last two months we at Arctic Lavvo have sold 30 lavvos to a dealer in Japan. We are incredibly happy to have a new dealer who wants to invest in our products. The order size is large, and we are already talking about the next order which we hope will arrive during February. We are proud that our products are now on the Japanese market and this represents an important seal of quality for us.

Heroin prices

But let's not stop there! We have also heard about “heroin prices” on our products. Let me make it clear right away, we distance ourselves from the use and sale of drugs. However, we have heard that some believe that our products are very expensive, as much as heroin prices. Why is this?

Firstly, our production is in Norway and many of the tents and lavvos that we compete against are, for example, produced in Asia. In Norway we have both better working conditions and higher wages than what is generally found in Asia. The wage costs for Arctic Lavvo are significantly higher and make a big difference compared to the products we compete with.

Secondly, we value local value creation, and try to trade locally with Nordic and European suppliers. An example here is textiles, in Norway there are no textile manufacturers. There are a few in Europe, our textile is produced in the Netherlands. Even though it has a higher cost price than an Asian textile, we feel more confident in the quality and working conditions of those who produce it in Europe.

Thirdly, we also repair free of charge for private customers for three years after the date of purchase, which we can do because we have the production in Norway. In addition, I believe Arctic Lavvo has a higher quality, has a longer lifespan for the products and provides a better offer to our customers. For example, we can offer special adaptations and special productions because the production is in Norway versus Asia.

Kindergartens

Finally, I would also like to mention kindergartens, a topic that I am personally very concerned about as I have children in kindergarten myself . Firstly, as a parent of children in kindergarten, I am very concerned about the challenges kindergartens are now facing. The constant news about kindergartens having to remain closed due to staffing problems worries me.

I really hope that politicians and leaders address this issue, so that kindergartens can continue to offer a safe and good start in life for our children. So to all of you who work in kindergartens, I want to say; Keep going, don't give up, you are doing an incredibly fantastic job! We need you.

The second thing I would like to say about kindergartens is that we at Arctic Lavvo are a relatively large supplier of lavvos and gammars to kindergartens. Both in Norway and Sweden. The lavvos and gammars are often up all year round, year after year. The products really have to work in very demanding weather. This means that we are constantly challenged and always have to work on improving the quality and durability. We are incredibly happy about that. To all our kindergarten customers, I would like to say thank you for your trust, it is absolutely great! I am so incredibly happy to be allowed to be your supplier.

So there you have it, a journey through Japan, heroin prices and kindergartens. I hope you learned something new and that you also cheer for Norwegian value creation!

Greeting,
Managing Director of Arctic Lavvo, Anders Bongo-Wiik.