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In 2020, the chief executive officer of Tella Oy, a small Finnish hat-making firm, wanted to achieve €2 million in turnover. She had been pursuing a regional growth strategy with some success since 2016, when she had founded the business after acquiring the long-established family firm. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm had abandoned its internationalization plans and began fabricating personal protective clothing. When the chief executive officer met with consultants, several expansion options were raised: remaining regionally focused, entering into exclusive supply arrangements, pursuing opportunities in Asia, licensing her designs, or becoming a fully online retailer. As a small firm with no permanent employees, which of these various options could Tella Oy realistically pursue? More importantly, was this chief executive officer ready to give up her role as chief designer to take on the role of managing director?

In 2020, the chief executive officer of Tella Oy, a small Finnish hat-making firm, wanted to achieve €2 million in turnover. She had been pursuing a regional growth strategy with some success since 2016, when she had founded the business after acquiring the long-established family firm. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm had abandoned its internationalization plans and began fabricating personal protective clothing. When the chief executive officer met with consultants, several expansion options were raised: remaining regionally focused, entering into exclusive supply arrangements, pursuing opportunities in Asia, licensing her designs, or becoming a fully online retailer. As a small firm with no permanent employees, which of these various options could Tella Oy realistically pursue? More importantly, was this chief executive officer ready to give up her role as chief designer to take on the role of managing director?

The MSK Group Oy was a third-generation family-owned business located in Ylihärmä, Finland. One of its subsidiaries, Junkkari Oy (Junkkari), manufactured agricultural and forestry equipment, including a range of mid-sized disk wood chippers used in small-scale farming and forestry applications; most of these were exported to markets in Europe and South Africa. Junkkari was not the only Finnish firm manufacturing wood chippers, and there was little to differentiate Junkkari’s machines from those of its competitors. Like many small firms that exported to foreign markets, Junkkari used partner distributors to sell its equipment internationally. In early 2017, Junkkari’s export manager was reviewing the wood-chipper orders. He knew the firm could double its annual production, but without firm orders, growth was stalled. He wondered how to grow the company’s business with a very limited budget.

The MSK Group Oy was a third-generation family-owned business located in Ylihärmä, Finland. One of its subsidiaries, Junkkari Oy (Junkkari), manufactured agricultural and forestry equipment, including a range of mid-sized disk wood chippers used in small-scale farming and forestry applications; most of these were exported to markets in Europe and South Africa. Junkkari was not the only Finnish firm manufacturing wood chippers, and there was little to differentiate Junkkari's machines from those of its competitors. Like many small firms that exported to foreign markets, Junkkari used partner distributors to sell its equipment internationally. In early 2017, Junkkari's export manager was reviewing the wood-chipper orders. He knew the firm could double its annual production, but without firm orders, growth was stalled. He wondered how to grow the company's business with a very limited budget.

Logset Oy (Logset) was a privately held, specialized forest-machine manufacturing firm in Koivulahti, Finland. The firm had a strong presence in Europe but not in North America. Canada, with 42 per cent of its land mass covered by forest, was an appealing market, although 15 years of effort had not resulted in any appreciable increase in sales there. Logset had a strong dealer network in Ontario and Quebec. However, efforts to recruit a dealer for Atlantic and Western Canada had been unsuccessful. What strategy should Logset use to enter into partnerships with Canadian companies?

Logset Oy (Logset) was a privately held, specialized forest-machine manufacturing firm in Koivulahti, Finland. The firm had a strong presence in Europe but not in North America. Canada, with 42 per cent of its land mass covered by forest, was an appealing market, although 15 years of effort had not resulted in any appreciable increase in sales there. Logset had a strong dealer network in Ontario and Quebec. However, efforts to recruit a dealer for Atlantic and Western Canada had been unsuccessful. What strategy should Logset use to enter into partnerships with Canadian companies?

The chief executive officer of Oy Moomin Characters Ltd. (Oy Moomin) had dramatically increased revenues since he joined the firm, but breaking into the major markets of the world, including the United States, was proving to be quite difficult. The firm’s long-standing relationship with its master agent, Bull’s Press of Sweden, had given the firm a dominant presence in the Nordic region and Japan but little presence elsewhere. He must consider his options for sustaining the growth of the firm, which involves developing a strategy for the character licensing industry, understanding sources of sustainable value creation, and adapting to the demands of a global marketplace.

The chief executive officer of Oy Moomin Characters Ltd. (Oy Moomin) had dramatically increased revenues since he joined the firm, but breaking into the major markets of the world, including the United States, was proving to be quite difficult. The firm's long-standing relationship with its master agent, Bull's Press of Sweden, had given the firm a dominant presence in the Nordic region and Japan but little presence elsewhere. He must consider his options for sustaining the growth of the firm, which involves developing a strategy for the character licensing industry, understanding sources of sustainable value creation, and adapting to the demands of a global marketplace.