Helly Hansen Canada Ltd. Invests in R&D
For more than two decades now, Helly Hansen Canada Ltd. has been recognized as a leader in its industry. Operating under licence from Helly Hansen ASA, it sets the pace in the manufacture and distribution of commercial rainwear, workwear and footwear products. For example, it offers flame-retardant products, specialty items like helicopter-transport suits and more. It has a custom-design team on hand to modify products to clients’ unique needs. Quality and reliability are the watchwords, there’s an ongoing emphasis and meeting and exceeding customers’ needs.
Helly Hansen is headquartered in Atlantic Canada, with a 100,000 square-foot production facility employing more than a hundred people. But it has a strong national presence, partnering with a West Coast distribution centre to reach clients across the continent. From small specialty operations to the largest players in the offshore energy sector--wherever workers need to be warm, safe, dry and productive, you’ll see the Helly Hansen brand.
Having a world-leading product is only part of the equation, though. Staying on top requires frequent research and investment in new products. "It takes a significant amount of money invested in R&D to make viable new products," explains Dan Clarke, Helly Hansen’s vice-president operations. And there are few quick or easy ways to recoup those expenditures. "Getting research dollars back from the government has always been a drawn-out process," he adds.
But an encounter with SmartBusiness helped with that. It’s the Greater Halifax Partnership's innovative business retention and expansion initiative, co-funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and the Nova Scotia Office of Economic Development. SmartBusiness account executives are meeting with 700 businesses over the year, to determine what issues they're confronting vis-a-vis growth and help solve them.
In the case of Helly Hansen, that meant information. "We talked about rising cost issues associated with research, which resulted in a connection with a consulting firm," recalls Clarke. "They put us in touch with the Business Development Bank of Canada, which resulted in an SR&ED tax credit." Helly Hansen is a strong believer in organizations like the Greater Halifax Partnership but Clarke admits that this process exceeded his expectations. "It was more thorough than I anticipated," he says. "They really got down to the meat-and-potatoes business issues. If you take the time to understand this initiative, it can open many doors. The best of businesses, from the small ones up, are involved." And the payoffs make sense to any operation: "SmartBusiness makes sure you can turn investments into revenue quicker."
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