Jogeir Romestrand and Håvard Haanes have worked together to build and develop businesses for almost 30 years. They have now been nominated for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 in recognition of their work in building and further developing Entec Group and Evotec.

“It is really great to be nominated. We have been doing this for many years, and of course it is particularly rewarding when our work is recognised,” says Håvard Haanes, Chairman of the Board.

In addition to serving as Chairman of Entec, Håvard Haanes is Managing Director of Brimer, which Entec Group divested in 2024.

Entec is a Norwegian holding company headquartered in Ulsteinvik. Its main industrial investment today is Evotec, which develops and delivers advanced handling systems for international maritime markets. Jogeir Romestrand is CEO of Evotec.

“It has been quite a journey, and we have achieved this together with many talented people who have worked hard and taken responsibility. Neither Håvard nor I could have done it alone. It has been teamwork from start to finish,” says Romestrand.

In its assessment of the candidates, EY highlights their ability to identify businesses with untapped potential and develop them into profitable growth companies. Their work with Odim, Brimer and Evotec is cited as examples of long-term industrial value creation.

An independent jury will decide who advances to the national final of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year at the regional awards ceremony in Bergen on 4 November. More information about the award is provided in the fact box.

From Odim to new industrial ventures

Romestrand and Haanes began working together at Odim in 1997. When Haanes arrived for his job interview, Romestrand, who was supposed to take part, had travelled to Houston to meet customers. Instead, Haanes was interviewed by Odim’s then Managing Director, Eldar Eilertsen.

Haanes got the job, marking the beginning of a working relationship that has lasted almost 30 years. Eilertsen had led Odim through a period of strong growth, and Romestrand describes him as an important mentor in long-term strategy and planning.

“We have been involved in building several industrial companies, and our experience at Odim has been important in our subsequent work with Brimer and Evotec. Håvard and I are quite different, and we have had some serious discussions over the years. But we have great respect for each other’s expertise and constantly challenge one another. I believe our differences have actually been a strength,” says Romestrand.

In 2016, Haanes was appointed Managing Director of Brimer, which was established on Kvamsøy in 1974. Romestrand later became Chairman of the Board, and together with the other owners and employees, they began developing the business further.

In 2018, the owners of Brimer and ServiTech established Entec Group with the ambition of building a larger industrial group. In January 2019, Jogeir Romestrand, Håvard Haanes and Torkjell Ringstad acquired Evotec from Kongsberg Maritime. Later that year, Evotec joined Entec Group alongside Brimer and ServiTech.

Evotec was founded as Evomec in Herøy in 2006 and changed its name to Evotec in 2011. That same year, the company was acquired by Kongsberg Maritime. The sale back to local owners in 2019 followed competition-related requirements arising from Kongsberg’s acquisition of Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine.

Seeing opportunities in a challenging market

Evotec is now Entec Group’s main industrial investment. The company develops and delivers fully electric drive and handling systems for maritime and industrial markets. Its technology helps reduce weight, space requirements and energy consumption on board vessels.

When Evotec was acquired in 2019, market conditions were challenging and profitability was weak. The company needed to develop parts of its technology further, strengthen the organisation and find new markets.

Since then, Evotec has strengthened its position in both new and existing markets, including subsea, research and defence.

A super salesperson

Torkjell Ringstad has played an important role in this development. He is now EVP International Sales of Evotec. He was a co-owner before the company was sold to Kongsberg in 2011 and returned as an owner in 2019.

Romestrand describes him as a “super salesperson” and emphasises the importance of strong customer relationships.

“The hardest part is selling. We can always organise production, but without customers, we have no business,” says Romestrand.

People who complement each other‍

“We believed Evotec had great potential, but it has taken a lot of hard work to get where we are today. We have had to invest in both technology and people and find new markets. It is very rewarding to see that these efforts have delivered results,” says Haanes.

Both believe that bringing together skilled employees with different strengths has been an important part of developing the companies.

One of them is Aleksander Eidem, CFO at Brimer, who has played a key role in supporting Haanes throughout the company’s development. His financial expertise has helped strengthen financial structure and control, as well as build confidence among the banks.

Romestrand also highlights Odim founder Inge Dragsund as an important mentor.

“Inge had a unique ability to give people responsibility and authority, and to give them a chance. I learned a lot from that, and it is something we try to carry forward at Evotec,” says Romestrand.

“We are different, and so are the people around us. Everyone is good at something. The key is to discover people’s strengths and give them the opportunity to use them,” says Haanes.

Both emphasise involving employees in business development, giving them responsibility and building an organisation in which people can work independently.

Expanding internationally, building locally

Romestrand and Haanes have focused on building industrial companies with strong roots in Sunnmøre on the northwest coast of Norway, while expanding internationally.

Long-term planning has been central to their approach. They have carried forward lessons from Odim, including what they learned from Eldar Eilertsen. Today, they work with rolling three-year plans, broken down into specific activities for the coming year.

In 2025, Evotec acquired the manufacturing operations of Fortaco d.o.o. Gruža in Serbia as part of its efforts to increase production capacity and support international growth.

The acquisition was notable in a regional context. According to a survey by Hadar Corporate Finance, Evotec was the only company in Møre og Romsdal to complete a registered strategic acquisition abroad in 2025. The same survey recorded 11 transactions in which ownership of companies in the county moved out of Norway.

“We want to create activity and jobs here at home, but to continue growing, we also need the capacity and expertise to deliver. That means we sometimes have to look beyond Norway. It is about strengthening what we are building here in Sunnmøre,” says Haanes.

Actions speak louder than words

For the two long-standing partners, building industrial companies is about the people behind them. They describe it as a privilege to develop businesses that create jobs and matter to families and local communities.

“Actions speak louder than words. We believe in making things happen and delivering on our promises,” says Jogeir Romestrand.
Håvard Haanes concludes by stressing that customers must always come first.

“If you don’t take care of your customers, somebody else will.”

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™‍

• A global programme that honours entrepreneurs and business leaders, with programmes across 94 countries and regions.
• The programme has been held in Norway since 2002 and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026.
• An independent panel of judges assesses candidates based on criteria including entrepreneurial spirit, value creation, leadership and community engagement.
• The regional awards ceremony will take place in Bergen on 4 November 2026.
• The programme is organised in Norway in partnership with Danske Bank.

Read more about the global EY programme