1. Fortune 500 e-commerce leader and Graebel Relocation client*
selected Luxembourg as its EMEA headquarters in 2008. Since
then, the firm has experienced a 680-percent increase in its
full-time expatriate employees with plans to attract hundreds
more. A rapid expansion of multinational companies in the
country has created a challenge for everyone seeking housing
and school accommodations in the last five years. Recognizing
a perfect storm, Graebel became proactively involved on several
fronts, including with local authorities, to help prevent the
forecasted bottleneck – or even worse – complete shortage
of accommodations.
THE CHALLENGE
Luxembourg has become home to many diverse multinational companies conducting business in the
EMEA region. The small and mighty country in Europe was ranked number 16 in the Bloomberg Best
Countries for Business in 20141
. Initiatives have been proactively put in motion by the country to diversify
its economy, and a number of incentives have attracted companies to Luxembourg because of the 1)
Low tax structure — up to 80-percent of net income generated from intellectual property — which
can include tax-free copyrights, designs and domain names; 2) the government is aiming to position
Luxembourg as Europe’s next hub for technological innovation; 3) Luxembourg’s push to attract tech
talent has driven e-commerce giants to register their sales of digital products in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East in the Grand Duchy.2
All of this increased activity has swollen the country with an influx of
foreign nationals which, according to its National Tourist Office, 44-percent of the population consists of
expats or immigrants.3
This Graebel Relocation client faced challenges attracting and recruiting talent, especially assignees
with families and school-age children, due to the lack of adequate schooling. In addition, finding suitable
rental or temporary housing for assignees was becoming increasingly scarce, posing a battle to satisfy
the needs of incoming assignees.
PROACTIVE
ACTION AIDS
LUXEMBOURG
LIMITED
HOUSING AND
SCHOOLING
THE CUSTOMER
Fortune 500 company headquartered on
the West Coast of the U.S. and a global
leader in e-commerce. Annually, the client
initiates a large number of international
intern and renter-status assignments around
the world. Its EMEA headquarters is based
in Luxembourg.
PROJECT SCOPE
To advocate for an increase of housing and
schooling accommodations in tandem with
the community and its client in Luxembourg
in light of an anticipated increase of future
inbound expatriates.
WHY GRAEBEL RELOCATION
No matter the client, obstacle or country,
the people of Graebel listen attentively
and consult with industry and real-world
expertise, and proactively find innovative
solutions. No barriers are too high to climb
because on a daily basis, mobility situations
are overcome with each client’s best
interests in mind.
1
Bloomberg Rankings, Jan 21, 2014
2
Claire Barthelemy. “Out of the Shadows, a Tech Hub in Luxembourg.” March 9, 2014, The New York Times
3
Luxembourg National Tourist Office, 2014
*Client cannot be specified due to contractual confidentiality.
SOLUTIONS AND RESULTS continued on reverse

2. THE SOLUTION
Always forward thinking, Graebel Relocation
proactively and expeditiously responded within
the community to lobby for additional housing
and school accommodations. Members of the
Graebel EMEA team led the effort and contacted
local community officials and authorities. The
Cabinet of Prime Minister reacted immediately
to the Graebel overture. Two meetings took
place in March 2014, with the Ministry of
Education and Ministry of Housing, to address
the issues at hand. Graebel did not stand alone,
its people rallied for representatives from other
clients in the region, including e-commerce
giants, suppliers, and potential community
investors to join the proposition for expansion.
THE RESULTS
The meeting with Graebel and the Ministry of
Education was a great success. Developments
were immediate and resulted in the Ministry
launching initiatives that allowed for the
increase of multilingual student capacity in
kindergartens starting in September 2014, and
the additional development of multilingual
programs in public schools.
After the rapid response from the Ministry,
Graebel then initiated contact with international
schools abroad to share Luxembourg authorities’
incentive programs to sponsor and contribute to
the opening and development of international
schools in Luxembourg. During the meeting with
the Ministry of Housing the proposals offered
by Graebel were well received and sparked
future actionable solutions that are expected to
have a positive long-term effect. For example,
authorities will be encouraged to push for a
broader mix of construction permits to promote
additional residential developments for renters.
Plus, solutions were suggested for expat
families interested in purchasing properties.
After the housing meeting, the Graebel team
also made contact with several local private
investor communities. Strength comes in
numbers, and by rallying for additional backing
within the community, the odds of a more
successful outcome increased.
Further ingenuity by Graebel to enlist and join
forces with its network of in-region supply
chain partners contributed to connections
with housing owners and landlords to institute
additional rental options.
This collaborative initiative that connected
diverse organizations has been successful.
Graebel Relocation will continue to monitor
and persistently surface innovative solutions
to manifest additional schooling and housing
in Luxembourg so that its clients can continue
to progressively do business in the country by
attracting and retaining expatriate talent.
To learn more, contact your local Graebel
representative today.
ABOUT
LUXEMBOURG
(Officially, the Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg)
Luxembourg is a
landlocked country, and
one of the smallest countries in Europe. It
has a highly developed economy, with the
highest gross domestic product per capita
in the European Union (EU) and third in
the world, after Liechtenstein and Qatar
according to the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).
Luxembourg is a member of the EU, NATO,
OECD, the United Nations and Benelux.
The city of Luxembourg is the capital and
largest city.
Luxembourg is known for its cultural
diversity with more than 150 nationalities
in its melting pot.
The number of foreign residents in the
Grand Duchy equates to 44-percent of the
population. It is the highest proportion of
foreigners of any EU country.
GRSW-182 © 2015 Graebel Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
www.GRAEBEL.com
Global Employee & Office Relocation, Move Management & Workplace Services
Proactive action aids Luxembourg limited housing and schooling
Neighboring Countries:
Belgium | France | Germany Mild winters
cool summers
Area: The country is 82 km (51.7 miles) long and 57 km (32.5 miles) wide, encompassing an area of 2,586 square km (999 square miles)
Population:
537,039 Habitants
44% Immigrants / Expats
Government: Parliamentary democracy within
constitutional monarchy ruled by a Grand Duke
Chief Exports:
Machinery and
equipment,
steel products,
chemicals, glass,
rubber products
Luxembourg Fast Facts
Local Currency: Euro
Official Languages:
Luxembourgish | French
German | English widely
spoken
€
Continued from Page 1
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