We stop and look back at what we have accomplished. We are happy, impressed, maybe a little surprised, but most of all proud. 2024 was quite a year!
We are constantly developing and building on what is Norway's leading competence center within steel. More than ever, we know the importance of competence at Nordic Steel. That we as colleagues have a wealth of competence, within all the disciplines we work with. What we achieve together is the most important thing. Because it is our competence that our customers choose. Every single day.
In 2024, we have taken several big steps. We have developed as a company and built on what we had planned. One of our strengths is that we are true to our plans, and have the discipline to do so. We are building Nordic Steel further, step by step.
Important steps:
- We bought the neighboring property of 18,000 square meters, which means that we will continue to grow right here at the Håland industrial area in Bryne. Now we have the space we need
- Acquisition of the company Acoustics, a leading company within sound in ventilation systems. This means that Nordic Steel is now a complete supplier within HVAC
- We entered into the largest contract ever, worth over 200 million kroner, with Statsbygg, to build an advanced flow system for the Norwegian Marine Technology Center in Trondheim.
- We have strengthened our expertise and become an even more professional company
Nordic Steel will build industry in Norway for many, many years to come. We are building on what we have the prerequisites for success. That is competence, environment, safety, delivery time and serious working life.
For us, expertise is also about being the best at sustainable production, using more environmentally friendly materials, ensuring better logistics and fewer emissions in production.
We are also taking our sustainable responsibility a step further with an ongoing research and innovation project. We will receive actual measurements of all our operations, and customers will receive a complete climate account, with the greenhouse gas emissions of the projects. This will give customers a better basis for choosing more environmentally friendly products and solutions.
Customers should come to Nordic Steel and get help to build a better product, with better material choices and better solutions. They can be confident that when they choose us to implement an idea and a project, we have the best people who ensure precision at every stage, and that quality is in place.
We work every day for exactly that in our vision. It is that we will be the customer's first choice, because we know, understand and solve the customer's needs best. We are the best both professionally and in personal service.
In this report, we tell you about the most important results, projects and experiences in 2024. You will get to know us a little better as a company, but also with some of the people who joined us during the year.
Good reading!
Nordic Steel is Norway's leading competence center within steel. We work with engineering, advanced sheet metal processing, certified welding and assembly. We deliver high-quality mechanical production and project management to customers in all industries.
Our head office is at Bryne in Time municipality. This is where we have our administration and all production, with several production halls. We also have our own regional offices in Ålesund and Oslo.
From 2022 to 2023, we almost doubled our turnover, and 2023 was a record year for us. Then we had over 500 million kroner in turnover for the first time. In 2024, we have managed to stay stable at the same level. The year 2024 ended at 495.2 million kroner. The strong growth in the previous year was not accidental. We are on a stable and safe path forward.
All levels and all departments have been strengthened and we have increased the number of Nordic Steel employees. We have built the organization throughout 2024, gaining more expertise, structure and collaboration.
For us, system value is particularly important. It is about us being coordinated, and that each department works together, regardless of individuals. Every position is covered by a different person, and all roles are clearly defined. There should therefore be automation in many of the choices we make, and we are efficient. This ensures that the organization functions at all times, and that our customers receive their goods as agreed.
At the end of 2024, we had 139 employees. At the same time, we have around 25 project employees in the production departments. The welding department is still the largest department in Nordic Steel.
Nordic Steel is committed to industry in Norway. The jobs are here in the country, the environment is local and we are proud to be a cornerstone company in Jæren.
We are also building our industrial group to be sustainable. We want to be a leader in the industry, do more of what we are good at, and build even more. But in the good Jærsk spirit, we are building stone by stone.
It was absolutely right for us when we were given the opportunity to buy the neighboring property at Breimyra 5. Here we can expand in line with needs and volume, at the same location. Today we have taken into use parts of the administration building and several production halls. A large part of the property is a logistics center. This entire part is leased to carriers. On the logistics part of the site, we can build new production halls when we need it. In safe, profitable growth together with our customers.
One of our most important tasks is to play it safe for our customers. When we carry out a project, often from the idea stage to the finished delivery, our customers should be left with a product that meets their expectations. They should receive the product they paid for, on time, and with the documentation that was agreed upon.
In 2024, we have had over 2000 projects, from loyal customers who come back year after year, but also many new ones. We appreciate everyone very much. Maybe we are a little extra proud of the customers who choose us again and again. But everyone places their first order once. It is incredibly exciting to welcome new customers to us for the very first time.
We have customers in all industries, from renewables to energy and offshore, aquaculture, construction, defense and aerospace, and transportation and infrastructure.
In 2024, we received our largest contract ever, to deliver flow basins for Statsbygg, to the Norwegian Marine Technology Center. The contract is worth over NOK 200 million, and is an important factor in our order intake for construction and civil engineering being 39.2 percent in 2024. This market has clearly increased from 2023, when the share was 13 percent for us.
We are also seeing a welcome return in aquaculture, and the market is higher for us in 2024 than in previous years. In 2024, we had an order intake of 10.8 percent in aquaculture, compared to four percent in 2023. A new contract with Artec Aqua on construction phase two of Salmon Evolution is one of the reasons for that.
Energy and offshore is still a high-growth market for Nordic Steel. We are seeing a lot of activity in the industry. In 2024, order intake was 38 percent, compared to 48 percent in 2023.
Of the other markets we distribute to, we had an order intake of 8.9 percent in transportation and infrastructure, 2.4 percent in renewable energy and 0.7 to various other industries. Compared to the previous year, transportation and infrastructure has decreased slightly, from 23 percent in 2023. Renewable energy is also decreasing slightly, from nine percent in 2023. Various industries had a three percent distribution in 2023, and is also decreasing slightly.
Markets vary a bit from year to year, which is only natural. We are happy to see that the work we have done in many industries over a long period of time is working the way we said it would. When an industry is growing, we are there. And when an industry is slowing down, we spend more time on other industries.
Renewable energy has been big for us for several years, and we expect it to increase again in 2025. We expect the same with transportation and infrastructure. Several offshore wind projects are on the way, as are large projects in transportation and infrastructure.
Nordic Steel has a robust order intake that reflects our broad customer portfolio. A broad presence in several markets makes us less vulnerable to fluctuations, and the flexibility to grow where the opportunities are greatest.
The graph clearly shows that the majority of our customers shop with us again, year after year. A high rate of recurring revenue of between 88 and 107 percent over the past four years underlines that our customers experience great value through their collaboration with Nordic Steel.
The fact that customers keep coming back is a great vote of confidence – a strong confirmation that we deliver quality and keep our promises.
When customers come back to us year after year, it's also about the people they meet every day. At Nordic Steel, we have an environment where our people have both the knowledge and commitment needed to create great experiences.
I am so proud and happy to be able to emphasize once again how secure and strong Nordic Steel is. We have solid capacity in all parts of the business, the areas we need, and a good order backlog. We have established ourselves at a turnover level of around half a billion kroner, and are looking back on another very good year.
In 2024, we have taken part in new, forward-looking projects together with our customers. We secured the neighboring property, which allows us to develop further in one location. This is important for logistics, efficient operations, climate and the social community. We also received the largest contract of all time in 2024.
There is no doubt that we have developed a lot – not least because we have brought on board a fantastic number of great new employees.
I am so proud and happy to be able to emphasize once again how secure and strong Nordic Steel is. We have solid capacity in all parts of the business, the areas we need, and a good order backlog. We have established ourselves at a turnover level of around half a billion kroner, and are looking back on another very good year.
In 2024, we have taken part in new, forward-looking projects together with our customers. We secured the neighboring property, which allows us to develop further in one location. This is important for logistics, efficient operations, climate and the social community. We also received the largest contract of all time in 2024.
There is no doubt that we have developed a lot – not least because we have brought on board a fantastic number of great new employees.
Several of our departments have experienced growth and we have set up a new department structure in some places. Among other things, we have a new calculation team that complements the project department in a brilliant way. In the sheet metal department, we have had an exciting and very good generational change. The welding department has been further strengthened with high welding technical expertise.
One of the departments that has grown a lot is purchasing and logistics. We have projects that require a lot of capacity, with packing, storage and shipping, and we have taken this into account with several new hires.
The department that has perhaps grown the most is the assembly department. They have gained significantly more space in one of the buildings on the new plot of land we have purchased. We have many skilled assemblers who build, assemble and install the structures for our customers.
As part of a company that has consolidated its position as the leading steel center in Norway, we have invested heavily in expertise and capacity over the past year.
We are watched, listened to, and get to take part in an incredible number of exciting projects. That makes it fun and cool to work at Nordic Steel. But it also comes with a responsibility. A responsibility to do our part of the job, to always live up to the expectations that have been built up, both among ourselves, customers, suppliers and others.
It is an obligation to be a leading player. At the same time, it is incredibly fun. We will continue to cultivate professionalism and integrity, ensuring that Nordic Steel is a good and safe place to work. We will develop together with our customers and the community around us, and do even more of what we are good at.
For me, the Nordic Steel competence center is about our people. And we are lucky to have them close to us. Many people buy competence abroad, from players who have lower salaries and operate for significantly lower costs than we do. Since we are going to build – and lift Norwegian industry for many, many years to come, we are going to build on the things that we are good at. And that is people, competence, environment, safety, delivery times and serious working life.
There is value in having a contact person who follows your project from start to finish, and solves all the tasks you need. There is value in having a device and a team of workers who build your project under safe, serious conditions, and who deliver on time.
You get expertise, security and the most forward-looking solutions at Nordic Steel. I am particularly proud of that.
Some people talk about the unprofitability of green investments. That may well be a temporary picture of the situation. But I have no doubt that we as a society must decarbonize and come up with even more sustainable solutions to take care of the generations after us and the planet we live on. We must do what is right, and it will be profitable.
We are therefore working closely with the world's leading players to reduce emissions. We do this, among other things, through new and efficient machines, and by offering the greenest steel to our customers. I am only strengthened in my belief that there will be a "licence to operate" in the future.
Nordic Steel is a player that the leading companies want to work with. We are incredibly grateful and happy for that. Delivery reliability, real delivery capacity, size and sustainable production are some of the reasons why we are chosen.
It is the work we do together that gets noticed. We also never forget where we come from. We have built Nordic Steel stone by stone, and we will continue to do so. Making healthy, good choices, daring to be forward-looking and investing in what we do. I look forward to doing even more of that.
The first day of work in 2024 was also Olaug Byberg Skartland's first day as the new project manager at Nordic Steel. She entered a busy time, with many projects, a fast pace – and a group that was really on.
– I came to work early in the morning, the parking lot was full and everyone was there. There is such a joy and drive to work that I have never seen or heard of anywhere. An incredible amount of good work is being done here!
The first few months into the job were a lot about projects that needed to be delivered; it was a hectic period with a lot of activity.
At the same time that Nordic Steel got a new project manager on the team, a separate department within calculation was also established. Long-time project manager Harald Moi became head of the new calculation department. The number of projects and their size meant that the role of project manager was further developed, and the tasks were divided between the project and calculation departments.
– Harald and I work closely together. We have developed our roles, and how we want the interaction between us and the departments. We have worked a lot to ensure a good and correct start to the projects, where we work according to the same practices and routines, says Olaug Byberg Skartland.
Last year, we had over 2,000 projects at Nordic Steel. The largest number of projects were in energy and offshore, where large tanks, frames, units and structures that will be offshore dominate.
There were also many projects within construction, transport and infrastructure, aquaculture and renewables. The market that was the largest in terms of NOK was construction, where the contract with Statsbygg at the Norwegian Marine Technology Center was an important reason for that. The contract was the largest ever for Nordic Steel, at over NOK 200 million.
Nordic Steel will develop and build a flow system for the Norwegian Ocean Technology Center, which will be a world-leading center for education, research and innovation within the ocean industries. The flow system will be used in a large ocean basin, for testing waves, currents and wind.
At Nordic Steel, no two projects are exactly the same. Much may be the same, but there are always some new factors that come into play.
– Even though we've done something similar before, it's always something different. The projects are constantly increasing in complexity. And we achieve the most incredible things, both in the engineering and production phases, explains Skartland.
The project manager praises the collaboration and interaction between the departments.
– We want the same thing. Everyone wants the best. I had that experience before I started too. Here, people take responsibility, play nice with each other and help each other.
The expertise at Nordic Steel has been built up over time. Skartland particularly highlights the expertise in the welding department.
The department has a welding technical manager and two welding inspectors. They ensure that the quality of the welding is maintained in the projects. They do this, among other things, through independent quality control, where they check whether the welding technical properties are met and that the procedures are followed. The welding technical department also works with certification, testing and inspections.
– We are raising our quality even further by having such a competent welding technical department. They set standards and help raise the quality, points out the project manager.
We contribute to the development of expertise on our customers' products, optimizing and improving them. We do this by, among other things, taking them through approval and certification processes. An example is IMDG and ADR approval for a customer, for the transport of dangerous goods.
In connection with planned growth and larger projects, the project department has also grown, and more project managers have been added, both experienced and trainees. Olaug Byberg Skartland has initiated several training courses, to gain even more cutting-edge expertise, and to share expertise with each other.
– We have had courses in Norwegian Standard contracts, learned more about the Pressure Directive, and had DNV present at meetings to learn even more about what is particularly important in projects with various DNV certifications.
Nordic Steel supplies to all industries where steel is needed. We constantly follow what is happening in the industries in Norway and the world, and adapt to our customers' needs.
– We have had good momentum all year and are working in all markets. It is very nice that customers choose us again and again, instead of going abroad. It is quite unique that we have all the expertise in-house, and deliver exactly what our customers want, concludes project manager Olaug Byberg Skartland.
“We have not only strengthened the department, but the entire company has gained new expertise,” says Tom Rosland, head of the technical department.
The department head talks about adding expertise in strength calculations and simulations.
– We can help our customers even more.
At Nordic Steel we work with all types of projects, for all industries. In the technical department we draw, design, calculate and prepare the projects for production. Close cooperation with both the project department and the production departments is very important.
– The most exciting assignments are where we have good collaboration across departments, but also with the customers. Collaboration creates both commitment and greater ownership of the projects, so it is very important to us, Rosland points out.
Two of the projects that the department has worked extensively on in the past year are water treatment equipment and ventilation for the second construction phase of Salmon Evolution, and an ocean flow basin for Statsbygg.
– We have calculated the strength for both projects. For the ocean current basin, design with advanced flow and calculation models has also been part of the assignment. We have reviewed all calculations that have been made and ensured that all changes have been included.
Competence is key in the technical department, as in all other departments at Nordic Steel. Department manager Rosland points out that knowledge is increasing steadily in the department.
– We continue to develop. People are in a good environment where they learn things, about everything we work on.
And what we are working on is truly anything is possible.
– It's everything from tiny discs to a huge wave pool. It's everything between heaven and earth, literally, says Tom Rosland.
Just before the end of 2024, it became clear that Nordic Steel was awarded the contract from Artec Aqua for construction phase two at Salmon Evolution. A contract we have been waiting for – and which emphasizes that the value we create, with experience, expertise and specialized production for the industry, is emphasized. The close and good cooperation that we have had with Artec Aqua over several years continues.
– For the first construction phase, we delivered important water treatment equipment to the plant. We have now redesigned and further developed the same equipment together with Artec Aqua. In addition, we will deliver a complete ventilation system, says Ola André Synes, responsible for aquaculture, at Nordic Steel's office in Ålesund.
The water treatment equipment consists of 12 DeGasso aerators that reduce the CO2 content in the operating water of the fish farming facility. Some of the changes that have occurred from construction stages one to two are that the material quality has been upgraded from stainless steel 316 to Duplex. The product we deliver is even safer against corrosion.
– The product has also been made even more service-friendly, with inspection openings to support automatic washing, among other things. This time we also deliver an HVAC system with a fan package, such as jet hoods, risers and exhaust, explains Synes.
The framework conditions for the industry have been unstable in recent years, but that is starting to change. The land rent tax is more predictable now, and several projects have started. Ola André Synes explains it as if “it was like flipping a switch, when in the fall requests, updates and budgets came in.”
In addition to the significant contract with Artec Aqua on Salmon Evolution, Nordic Steel can look back on several projects, with many solid, good customers from the aquaculture industry in 2024.
As an equipment manufacturer, Nordic Steel can supply anything that both the aquaculture industry and other industries need in steel. Our position in the industry is very good, and our "total package" is often an important reason why we are chosen.
– Customers should be confident that we will deliver. We will be here for a long time, and we will make each other better. Ola André Synes explains how important Nordic Steel is as a competence center for the industry.
– We see a change in the industry, customers are more aware of what they are buying. They don't just want a tank or a grate, they want something that will last, submerged in seawater. It is equipment with an expected lifespan of 50 years. This is no challenge for us! We have procedures and everything ready to work with noble metals, forming and welding. Everything is in place with us when the industry tightens its requirements for surfaces, corrosion resistance and material qualities.
In 2025, humpback salmon will return to the rivers in the far north of the country. Nordic Steel has a framework agreement for the production of salmon traps with the State Administrator of Troms and Finnmark. In 2024, we have both designed and produced new salmon traps.
Some of the new traps that are going to the Tana River are very large. We are talking 10 meters long, 3 meters high and 2.5 meters wide. To set these traps, we are building a special transport barge that will lift the traps out and place them on the riverbed.
– We have many legs to stand on, and also notice a greater degree of interaction opportunities. The customer comes to us with an idea or thought, then we design and develop it together. This is exactly what we are good at, concludes Ola André Synes.
Tunnel, bridge, road, railway, busway, public transport, airport, outdoor area, park or parking. You won't find an area within transportation and infrastructure where Nordic Steel doesn't deliver steel solutions.
“We have the expertise to help design and produce an incredible amount. We develop products and solutions for our customers,” says Bjørn Erik Ualand, who heads the transportation and infrastructure department at Nordic Steel.
This means that where steel is needed, we can make what the customer needs.
There is a lot of steel inside tunnels. Whether they are road tunnels, bicycle tunnels or cable tunnels, it doesn't matter. All over Norway, there are many tunnels that have various steel suspension systems from Nordic Steel.
– We have delivered all the suspension systems for the new E39 in Lyngdal, for Brødrene Dahl. There are suspensions in acid-resistant steel for both signs and lane signals, explains Ualand.
In the fall of 2024, we completed work on the Tangenvika railway bridge, which will be Norway's longest. Welding of the enormous pile pipes for the bridge's foundation was done by Nordic Steel.
– Keller Geoteknikk AS chose Nordic Steel as the supplier to weld steel pile pipes for the Tangenvika project. The pipes are up to 1.4 meters in diameter and 85 meters long. The welding had to follow strict execution procedures and tolerances, as the pipes are components of the bridge foundation, explains Wojciech Szczepinski, project manager at Keller.
Nordic Steel was based in Tangenvika for over a year, to perform complex and specialized welding on the pile pipes, directly on the construction site. The level of welding technology at Nordic Steel is very high.
Department Manager Ualand also emphasizes Nordic Steel's expertise in development and design.
– We know how things should be. It's one thing to price a job, but to envision it, how something should be solved when it's just an idea, that's where our expertise really comes in.
Experience, interaction between departments, and interest in the subject are emphasized.
The projects in this market are numerous, and the variation is great.
In 2024, we delivered handrails and additional elements for railings at the train station in Sandnes. At the same train station, we are continuing with a new project, which is new stair access to the train platform.
In the center of Sandnes, new, large planters with benches will also be installed this spring. We have both designed and produced them.
In Oslo, the roof of Aspelin Ramm's new logistics building was voted the greenest in the Nordic region. On the roof there are living areas with lots of green plants in corten steel flower boxes that we have made.
– There are so many exciting projects coming up. A lot of it is typical jobs that suit us well. Things that not everyone wants to tackle. We are facing a very interesting year, concludes Ualand.
Nordic Steel acquired Acoustics, a leading company within sound in ventilation systems, in the spring of 2024. This means that Nordic Steel is now an even more complete supplier of HVAC ducts and equipment.
Acoustics' products, such as sound traps, jet hoods, acoustic walls and dampers, are now owned by Nordic Steel. The products can be delivered with complete acoustic documentation.
– It is easier for customers to have more products in one place. We have received many new products, and we see that our customers appreciate that. The acquisition of Acoustics was undoubtedly one of the biggest things that happened in 2024, says Thor Erik Hebnes, department manager for the HVAC department.
The HVAC department is the department that delivers the most to offshore wind in all of Nordic Steel, to projects all over the world. “We are a leading supplier of ventilation ducts and equipment for offshore wind. We are constantly receiving requests from new offshore wind projects,” says Hebnes.
In 2024, we completed the delivery of Link 1 and 2, at Hornsea 3. We have, among other things, been awarded contracts for the Norfolk Vanguard East Offshore Wind Farm and for several offshore wind projects abroad. For the Norfolk project, we will deliver ventilation ducts and Acoustics products.
Nordic Steel was selected again by Artec Aqua, for construction phase two of Salmon Evolution, one of the world's largest land-based aquaculture facilities. In addition to water treatment equipment as before, we will also supply HVAC equipment.
– We are very pleased that we were also trusted with HVAC by Salmon Evolution. We will deliver ducts, jet hoods and fans, among other things. It is a big and important job for us, and it is especially nice that we, together with other departments in Nordic Steel, are delivering a complete package for the project.
On this project, we also have a collaboration with GMC HVAC on the delivery of fans.
The collaboration with GMC HVAC goes back a long way. At the same time, the company is also an important customer for Nordic Steel.
Many of the same customers come back again. Novenco is a particularly great partner, especially in Air Handling Units, which are ventilation units.
During last year, the production halls were at times full of ventilation units. More than 20 units were produced during the year, many in large dimensions, and weighing close to 30 tons. These are still units that we produce a lot of.
There are many references from customers, on projects and individual products. In HVAC, experience, expertise and delivery time are undoubtedly appreciated by customers.
– We produce for all customers, and we deliver the best to everyone. We do this to all industries that need heating, cooling and air, concludes Thor Erik Hebnes.
– We landed the job in Trondheim! Just before Christmas in 2023, we were notified that we were prequalified. Then we put together the team that would calculate and do the math. Then it all went smoothly.
Head of Construction, Torjus Ulsaker, talks about what was the largest contract ever for Nordic Steel. In June 2024, we were awarded a contract with Statsbygg to develop and build an ocean flow basin for the Norwegian Ocean Technology Center.
– We won the contract because we are Nordic Steel in every way. We won in the planning phase, and because we had a detailed plan for production and assembly. Here we produce everything ourselves, says Ulsaker.
Towards the end of the year, production of columns for the project began. We plan to produce parts for the pool throughout 2025. In 2026, we will assemble it in Trondheim.
The ocean current pool will be one of the world's most advanced facilities for research and education in ocean technology. The pool will require advanced steel structures, such as various frames, decks, columns and boxes. The system will be used in the pool to test waves, currents and wind.
– We are responsible for the mechanical aspects, and Sintef is responsible for the hydrodynamic aspects. The components we make must be designed so that the water flows correctly. Everything must fit together, explains Torjus Ulsaker.
The ocean current pool is a scaled-down ocean with realistic waves. On two sides there will be wave machines, and beaches on the other two sides. The pool has a raised and lowered floor, which can be adjusted from zero to 12 meters, and in the middle it can be adjusted down to 30 meters.
Torjus Ulsaker is the head of construction at Nordic Steel. At the Oslo office, he is accompanied by project manager Aleksander Lundeland, who has overall responsibility for Nordic Steel's contract at the Norwegian Ocean Technology Center. They work closely, on a daily basis, with the head office in Bryne.
– We are Nordic Steel. It is our own people who design solutions, and it is our own people who produce them ourselves. This is the competence center. Customers know that we know the technical language, we know what we are talking about, and they can trust us.
Nordic Steel is set up for the special, explains Ulsaker. – Needs suddenly arise. There is steel everywhere. Like the steel brackets for the National Museum. Every single stone on the outside of the building hangs on a specially made suspension system from us.
– We can take on anything, but we should not take on just anything.
The project in Trondheim takes a lot of time for the department.
Other projects that have been completed include roof panels and sandwich elements for Krogstad Biogass. Another is a parking facility for Heggedal Hage.
This summer, Ulsaker and Lundeland will move into the newly built Construction City in Oslo. This is in a collective, with many exciting companies nearby and in the same industry. There are also plans to expand the organization in Oslo, which will contribute to capacity for even more of the special.
– Now we are looking forward to getting even more of the production for the marine technology center underway. It is an important job that requires a lot of documentation. But we are also good at that, concludes Ulsaker.
The sheet metal department at Nordic Steel covers many areas of work. We are engaged in laser cutting, deburring, bending, assembly and HVAC production.
In 2024, the assembly part of the department was moved to a separate production hall in Breimyra, on our newly purchased neighboring property. They have been given much larger space.
– This means we can take on more work at once. We have more space to work in, and much more room to play, says Joakim Amdal, the new head of the records department from 2024.
In the assembly department we also have space for customers to install equipment in products we have made for them. Novenco is one of the companies that often work at Nordic Steel. We have produced a dozen Air Handling Units for the company. They are completed in our premises, by Novenco. This also means less transport and closer collaboration throughout all stages of production.
With Joakim Amdal as the new head of the plate department, we have had a generational change in the department. 30-year-old Amdal is a young manager, but still has extensive experience in Nordic Steel.
– I came to Nordic Steel 14 years ago, starting as an apprentice. At the time, we had around 30 employees, but both the company and my roles have changed a lot since then.
Joakim Amdal received his certificate in production engineering and became the foreman of laser production in 2015.
The department manager has been with Nordic Steel in its growth and development for many years. His broad and long experience, together with his leadership skills and maturity, make Joakim Amdal definitely the right person to take the plate department further at Nordic Steel.
– It is very rewarding to receive such trust. My job is to ensure the flow of work and make sure everyone has what they need.
In the record department, it is also noticeable that the projects we are involved in are becoming larger, with both new and exciting challenges.
– There are many assignments that are large and that we spend more time on. But it's fun. We are constantly following the class and developing ourselves, says Amdal.
Several excellent professionals have joined the plate department in the past year, and the department now has a total of nearly 40 people. New people with the expertise we need are an important part of building on the Nordic Steel competence center.
In the plate department, in addition to people and expertise, investments are also being made in new machines.
– We are looking forward to 2025. Then we will get more new machines and equipment. Among other things, there will be two new press brakes. We already have a press brake that breaks at 400 tons, now we are getting another one. In addition, we will get an all-electric press brake during the spring. This means that we will get even greater capacity, it will be very good, concludes Joakim Amdal.
– It has been a year where we have had a lot to do. It has been very busy at times. But we make it happen, and it is nice when there is a lot happening and there is a lot of activity, says Roy Fuglestad, head of the welding department at Nordic Steel.
The welding department is still the largest department in Nordic Steel. In addition to over 40 permanent welders, we have also had many project welders in 2024.
– We are lucky to have so many good people. In the past year, we have also gained an even larger welding technical department.
In the welding department, the employees have expertise at the very top of the welding profession. They follow up on the welding, and that everything is done according to the requirements and standards that have been set. In some industries there are high welding technical requirements, in others there are greater visual requirements, and in other places it is important to have completely scratch-free surfaces.
– We have equipment and facilities that allow the work to be carried out properly. Also in 2024, we have invested heavily in, among other things, welding machines, equipment and welding tables, says Fuglestad.
The department manager points out that we take part in many large projects. In 2024, the welding department has assembled many very large units, and has had assignments that require a lot of space. Therefore, it is particularly pleasing that we have been given much more space with the buildings in Breimyra 5, which is the closest neighboring property.
– Towards the end of the year, we started setting up in a brand new welding hall on the site. This is where we will weld piping and tubes, which will free up plenty of space in our largest stainless steel production hall, says Fuglestad.
The department is now looking forward to the work of building a flow basin for the marine technology center in Trondheim. Production for the project started just before Christmas 2024. It is a mix of fairly simple production, with simple parts, and more complicated units such as bucket structures. The largest individual parts are up to ten meters long.
– We have so many different projects, and so much going on. There are products going here and there, and we have satisfied customers. That's what's so great about working at Nordic Steel, concludes Roy Fuglestad.
At Nordic Steel, we do everything we can when it comes to sustainability, within the areas we can influence.
We work strategically with sustainability, both with social and environmental factors, economy, climate, working life and corporate social responsibility. Specifically for us, this means that we will have low emissions in our own operations, but also that we continuously work with health, environment and safety. In our industry, the largest emissions come from our value chain, and especially from steel production. Therefore, it is very important for us to offer the most environmentally friendly steel, but also to work closely with our customers, to get them to choose it.
We are convinced that it is necessary and right, but also profitable, to be a forward-looking and responsible company. For us, sustainability is a competitive advantage.
The EU is introducing more and more requirements and directives that are important for both us and our customers. These could be carbon tariffs, clean industry agreements or new reporting rules. For us, it is important to have up-to-date and correct information when our customers are collecting data from their value chain.
Nordic Steel has good procedures for reporting its own greenhouse gas emissions, and we report on both direct and indirect emissions. We have an overview of all scopes 1 and 2, and parts of scope 3. We also report annually on the Transparency Act, with due diligence assessments of human rights and responsible working conditions.
Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the biggest challenges we face worldwide. Everyone has a responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we take responsibility for our part in doing so.
We have chosen to launch a major research and innovation project to measure CO2 emissions from all stages of production. This will give our customers a better basis for choosing more sustainable products and solutions.
We have spent 2024 developing, testing and exploring collaboration with actors who can assist in the best possible project, where our methods are also verified by an independent actor.
The goal is that we will get a calculation of CO2 emissions, without extra work, on all our offers. All data will be entered into our business system, so that emission figures are automatically included in the offer. Together with the customers, we will then be able to discuss both price and delivery time, but also CO2 emissions, before we start a project.
When our customers see that they can choose more environmentally friendly solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that these are also verified figures, it can strengthen the basis for decision-making. Customers can make an informed choice, and help reduce emissions. After a project is completed, customers receive a climate account of what was actually used.
Value creation and economic profitability are crucial for sustainable development. We believe that our CO2 project is the right way to go, by providing our customers with a fact-based decision-making basis. It can lead more people to choose more environmentally friendly produced steel, which is an important transition in the steel industry.
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We want to contribute to a more sustainable future and work with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. This happens both in our own operations and in following up with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders.
At Nordic Steel, we have chosen to work with four sustainability goals. These are goals that are particularly relevant to us, and where we can make a difference. These are goal 3 on good health and quality of life, goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, goal 13 on stopping climate change, and goal 17 on cooperation.
In recent years, we have had an environmental theme on the agenda every month, internally at Nordic Steel. Some of the themes have been working at height, energy saving, point extraction in welding, and recycling. We have participated in the Cycle to Work campaign, and arranged a recycling market in our canteen. We link these themes to the work with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular our selected four goals.
HSE: Health, environment and safety are the most important things we work with and work for. Everyone should have a safe workplace, and a safe and good environment around them.
We have procedures, routines, risk assessments, rules, safety rounds and goals within health, environment and safety. This covers everything from protective equipment, to driving a forklift, lifting, welding technical control and safe job analysis. We have both systems and a culture for speaking up and reporting unwanted incidents and errors. HSE should always be taken seriously.
In 2024, we had a sick leave rate of 4.5 percent. When we separate long-term sick leave and self-reported sick leave, the figures break down to 3.7 percent for long-term sick leave and 0.8 percent for self-reported sick leave/sick child. We are pleased that we have a low number of self-reported sick leave.
Working environment: Our goal is for all employees at Nordic Steel to enjoy their jobs and have a meaningful working day. A workplace should be positive for health and quality of life.
The working environment is good at Nordic Steel. We aim to be informal and pleasant, both for employees and visitors. At Nordic Steel we are also good colleagues who care about each other.
We have many activities both at our own workplace and outside, which lead to good well-being and good unity. Here we mention paddle training, the company bowling series, salary meetings and walks. We entered teams for both the Markusløpet and the Energy Relay. Our state-of-the-art training room is widely used by both employees and families.
A highlight in 2024 was a trip to Sicily for all employees and their entourage. There were almost 200 of us on the trip, and we had fantastic days of culture, nature, history, professional enrichment, and a wonderful social community. When we traveled to Sicily, we were ready with a brand new app for internal communication. In order to reach out with information to everyone in the company, regardless of whether someone is sitting behind a computer screen or a welding machine, we have chosen to have our own app. After all, everyone has a mobile phone! Together with the Bryne company Grensesnitt, we have developed our own app, completely tailored to our needs. Here we share current news, have an employee list and regular posts about everything from discount agreements to information, especially for new employees.
Equality: Traditionally, the steel industry has been a male-dominated profession. It still is, and we also have the most men employed in Nordic Steel. The proportion of women has nevertheless increased in recent years, and at the end of 2024 we had 139 employees in the company. Of these, 122 were men and 17 were women. The proportion of women increased by one percentage point in 2024, compared to 2023.
Equality is more than gender equality. It is also about pay, opportunities, and diversity. It is a company policy that work of equal value should result in equal pay.
Nordic Steel's work on equality and discrimination is enshrined in several of our documents, such as the personnel handbook and ethical guidelines. The work on equality is ongoing in all departments, and everyone has the right to report if they or others are exposed to conditions that are not compatible with our values.
Diversity: We think it's great that we have colleagues with a diverse background, whether it's nationality, ethnicity, age, gender or other. Everyone is welcome here.
Nordic Steel is an international company, with many different nationalities. We are particularly proud of that. Although many have long since become Norwegian citizens, we have colleagues with origins from Iceland, Sweden, Chile, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Romania, Syria, Vietnam, Northern Ireland and Ukraine.
– We all have different native languages, but we work towards the same goal at work. It's important that we understand it and solve it together. I think that's cool!
That's what Taisiia Kozarenko, one of our foreign employees, says. Just before Christmas in 2023, she started her internship with us. Taisiia is from Ukraine, and came to Norway when Russia attacked her homeland in 2022.
Taisiia is a graduate in renewable energy engineering from a university in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She is originally from the Poltava region, but had lived in Kharkiv for seven years when the war broke out.
– I came to Norway already in March 2022, together with my husband. Norway and Jæren were familiar to me, because I had been a seasonal worker in a horticulture for a few years before, says Taisiia.
Taisiia set clear goals when she came to Norway. She wanted a job that was relevant and where she could contribute with her expertise. It was also very important for her to get a job so that she could support her family, who lives back in Ukraine.
She contacted companies in Bryne herself, said she wanted an internship, and would be happy to contribute. At Nordic Steel, she met operations manager Bjørnar Huru, who saw the committed, steadfast, but shy young woman.
– I brought with me a letter I had written, to get across everything I wanted to say the first time we met.
Taisiia got an internship in the documentation department, which is part of the project department. They work closely with the project managers, and ensure that our customers get the documentation they need for their products. Taisiia got to know the projects we are involved in, what we do and what we contribute to. A three-month internship turned into a permanent job.
– When I got a permanent job, I also got a work visa in Norway. This meant I could go home to visit my family in Ukraine.
Taisiia visited her family in 2024, after two years had passed without them seeing each other.
Taisiia contributes to her family from Norway. She can return home to visit, but wants to stay and obtain residency in Norway.
– I achieve more here. At Nordic Steel, you gave me time to show what I can do, without putting any pressure on me. You believed in me when I came here, and that made me more confident.
For Taisiia, it is of great value that she can achieve her goals in Norway. She has been given an opportunity here, which she wants to take care of.
– I don't feel alone. I feel like you are my family.
A sustainable local environment and community are important to us. We care about the local community of which we are a part, and want to contribute to making our region an attractive place to live, work and live. It is important to us that children and young people in particular have good upbringing conditions and can participate in culture and sports. Nordic Steel sponsors local sports and cultural life with significant amounts annually.
In 2024, we helped ensure that the women's team of Bryne FK could travel to a training camp abroad, so that they could build culture, an environment and have good training conditions. We also supported, in random order:
• The Joy Patrol
• Sandnes handball
• Bryne handball club
• Bryne football club
• Nærbø IL
• InterPadel Bryne
• Frøyland IL
• Varhaug IL
• Undheim IL
• Jæren Golf Club
• The Culture Bank
• Jæren Cycling Club
• Mark's race
• Rosseland ball club
• Hognestad IL
• Sviland BMX
• Litla Jærnåttå and Jærnåttå
• Sander Juuhl-Sivertsen (tennis)
• Maren Sele Kvia (horseback riding)
• Young Chefs of the Year
• Nordic Steel Run
• Bryne gymnastics team
People : The most important resource at Nordic Steel is our people. In 2024, we employed even more people than the year before. We have increased our expertise and underscored our position as a cornerstone company in Jæren. Nordic Steel is an attractive workplace for many. However, we would like more people to apply for mechanical skills, because we need more apprentices in welding, production technology and sheet metal work.
Our apprentices get good and varied opportunities in the company, and training from the best in the industry. In return, we get skilled employees, with the expertise we need for the future. In 2024, three of our employees received their trade certificates. Adrian Bekkeheien received his trade certificate in welding. Live Selvik Erga and Daniel Johnsen received their trade certificate in production engineering. All three are now permanent employees at Nordic Steel.
Suppliers : To be a supplier to Nordic Steel, you must be environmentally certified or have an environmental management system. We are happy to help, if suppliers want assistance in taking environmental responsibility. Nordic Steel has many suppliers within many different disciplines, and it is important for us to have good dialogue and safe suppliers. We conduct annual audits and meetings with suppliers for approval and follow-up.
Transporters: The transporters with whom we have framework agreements must be fair transport certified. This means that the drivers have good working conditions, the vehicle fleet is modern with lower emissions, and road safety is in the driver's seat.
Transparency Act: Nordic Steel is covered by the Transparency Act. In 2024, we conducted due diligence assessments of human rights and decent working conditions in line with the OECD guidelines. We work strategically to strengthen and ensure good working conditions, working environment and human rights. In the report under the Transparency Act, we document opportunities and risks internally and in our supply chain.
We have carried out due diligence assessments internally around health, environment and safety (HSE), where there is a risk that personal and strain injuries may occur. We have assessed that there is a risk that personnel do not receive equal pay for equal work and that personnel do not take part in the working environment. HSE is a continuous process, and we work every day to reduce the identified risk. We ensure involvement by having safety representatives and other employees participate in safety rounds. We carry out important occupational health examinations with the occupational health service. In production, we follow a set salary matrix and we have an extended mapping of gender equality, and what is being done to fulfill the activity obligation (Activity and reporting obligation). We work a lot with inclusion and the working environment, and are aware of this, especially because we are growing as a company.
Customer portfolio: Nordic Steel has a diversified and large customer portfolio. We supply to customers in many different industries. This means that we are not as exposed as many others to fluctuations in certain markets. All industries need steel, and our expertise in engineering, design, planning and production can be transferred from one industry to another.
Climate goals: Norway's climate goal for 2030 is to cut emissions by at least 55 percent compared to what Norwegian emissions were in 1990. The goal is enshrined in the Climate Act and registered under the Paris Agreement. Norway has also enshrined a goal to become a low-emission society by 2050, meaning that greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 90-95 percent from the level in 1990. It is also stated that Norway aims to meet the climate goal for 2030 in cooperation with the EU, which means that Norway participates in the EU's climate regulations (Source: Government's climate status and plan).
In addition, the government has set restructuring targets for the Norwegian economy, and the entire business sector must transition to a low-emission society. In the EU, industrial and climate agreements, on everything from the circular economy to customs, will affect us.
Environmentally friendly steel: At Nordic Steel, we have chosen to enter the green shift early, and do what we can to adapt. We will do what we can to have a positive impact, both internally in our own organization, and externally towards customers and suppliers.
One of the choices that matters a lot in our business is which steel is used for our projects. Steel with high greenhouse gas emissions is often produced in the traditional way, with new iron ore, in a blast furnace. Steel with lower greenhouse gas emissions has, among other things, a large proportion of recycled scrap metal in it, it can be produced in an electric arc furnace or with only renewable sources. Traditional steel production has high emissions compared to renewable production.
Nordic Steel collaborates with the world's leading players to offer the first commercially available steel with the lowest emissions to our customers.
Innovation: Our innovation project on CO2 emissions from all stages of our production will provide our customers with supporting evidence that they can use in their business and towards their customers, to make choices and actions where it has the most impact on emissions. We believe this is the most practical and real way we can change an industry.
Circular economy and recycling: At Nordic Steel, we sort all waste, such as cardboard and paper, plastic, chemicals, hazardous waste, electrical waste, wood, food waste, residual waste and metal. Again in 2024, we recycled over 90 percent of all waste at Nordic Steel.
100 percent of all steel waste and offcuts are sent for recycling so that it can be turned into new steel, and in this way we ensure a good circular economy. Steel can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its properties.
Circular economy was also an internal environmental theme in November 2024. At that time, we organized, among other things, a recycling market in our canteen. We have also started a bottle deposit system, where deposit bottles are collected in separate containers. The deposit goes to Flaskefond, which supports Norwegian start-ups and entrepreneurs working with the UN's sustainability goals.
Transport: It should be easy to travel environmentally friendly to Nordic Steel. We have 22 electric car chargers outside our buildings, and our own station for electric city bikes. The bikes can easily be combined with the public transport ticket, to and from Bryne station. We also participate in the Cycle to Work campaign every spring, and encourage employees to travel environmentally friendly.
Own greenhouse gas emissions: Nordic Steel has low emissions from its own production and its own buildings. We have all production in Norway, in modern premises, and we use new, energy-efficient machinery. We report on scope 1, which is direct emissions from our own operations, and scope 2, which is indirect emissions from purchased electricity. We report on several factors under scope 3, such as waste, air travel and business travel by car.
In 2024, our climate emissions were 153.5 tons of CO2. This is divided into 48 tons in scope 1, 24.5 tons in scope 2, and 81 tons in scope 3. Compared to 2023, our CO2 emissions increase by 29 percent. In 2023, emissions were 118.8 tons.
When we look at the distribution within the three scopes, it is almost exactly the same in scope 3 (80 tons in 2023, 81 tons in 2024). Under scope 2, we have reduced emissions from 2023 to 2024 (27.3 tons in 2023, 24.5 tons in 2024). The increase occurs in scope 1 (11.5 tons in 2023, 48 tons in 2024).
We can explain that. In 2024, the company Nordic Steel Construction became part of Nordic Steel. As a steel contractor and assembly company, the assemblers in the company had vehicles that they used. Nordic Steel has therefore become the owner of more vehicles than the year before, and several of them run on diesel. We are working on replacing parts of the vehicle fleet and during the year several of the cars have also been sold.
Collaboration is a central goal for everything we do. If we don't collaborate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we won't be able to achieve the sustainability goals that almost the entire world is united behind.
We collaborate with customers, suppliers, businesses, networks and associations – and many other stakeholders, on sustainable choices and measures. Our innovation project on CO2 emissions from all stages of production is supported by several customers. Important suppliers in many countries ensure that we can offer the most environmentally friendly steel to our customers.
Compera: Nordic Steel is a partner in Compera, which is developing a system and tools for sustainability reporting. The project develops solutions to simplify climate reporting and improve data quality, so that companies can reduce indirect emissions from the value chain.
In 2024, all Nordic Steel's suppliers received a questionnaire to map their competence and challenges in the field of sustainability. We received responses from 37 percent, which we consider a high response rate for a voluntary questionnaire. In 2025, the Compera tool will be implemented in Nordic Steel.
Expertise sharing: We participate in networks, share information in various collaboration forums and contribute to improving expertise for both customers and partners. It is important for us to create interest in environmentally friendly steel and the opportunities we have to reduce climate emissions.
Steel is one of the world's most recycled materials. It can be recycled an infinite number of times without compromising on quality.
It is therefore correct to say that steel is part of the circular economy. When steel is remelted, it can become something completely different - in a completely new form, and with a completely new function.
Steel is one of the world's most important building materials, and it will continue to be a key material choice in the future. Steel has properties that are difficult to replace with other materials. It is both 100% recyclable and produced using renewable energy, making it a more sustainable material option.
Between 70 and 80 percent of all steel ever produced is actually still in use. An important reason for this is the well-functioning international trade in scrap steel and the fact that scrap-based steel mills use scrap to produce brand new steel.
Recycling steel and aluminum requires only 30 percent and 5 percent respectively of the energy used to produce new metal. The world's supply of raw materials for the production of metals is limited, so it is important to reuse resources.
It is also very important that steel waste is used in the production of new steel. Steel produced from scrap steel is a much better option for the environment because it has significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.
In the production of new steel, CO2 emissions are reduced by 58% if scrap steel is used instead of new ore. It also reduces air pollution by 86%, water consumption by 40% and water pollution by 76% (Advocating Recycling in Europe (EuRIC)).
Recycling one ton of steel saves 1.4 tons of iron ore, 0.8 tons of coal, 0.3 tons of lime and additives, and 1.67 tons of CO2 (EuRIC).
The steel industry has also reduced its energy consumption significantly in recent decades. Producing one ton of steel today requires only 40 percent of the energy it took to produce steel in the 1960s. And since then, steel production has increased almost tenfold. At the same time, the use of renewable energy has also become even more important for steel production.
The steel industry is undergoing rapid development and completely fossil-free production of steel is approaching. From 2026, commercially available steel from hydrogen production is expected. It has no CO2 emissions, as long as the hydrogen is made with green power. More and more companies are working on carbon-neutral steel production. The opportunities are close, and some of them are already here.
In 2023, Nordic Steel became the first in Norway to offer the world's most sustainable, stainless and acid-resistant steel to our customers. The steel, Circle Green, has 93 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than the industry average.
Nordic Steel acquired Acoustics, a leading company within sound in ventilation systems. Acoustics delivered quality for decades, and when founder Anders Busvold was about to retire, he wanted to pass on his knowledge, experience and well-established brand to a serious company. Nordic Steel is one of the leading manufacturers of ventilation ducts and equipment for all industries, and became a complete supplier of HVAC with Acoustics products. Typical Acoustics products are jet hoods, sound traps, acoustic walls, ducts and dampers.
In the fall of 2024, Nordic Steel took over Breimyra 5. It is the neighboring property of Langmyra 6, which is Nordic Steel's head office. Breimyra 5 is 18,000 square meters, of which 9,000 square meters are buildings, both for production and administration. Most of the buildings will be kept as they are, but will be renovated and furnished as needed. There is also a large terminal building on the site, which is fully leased and used for that purpose. If necessary, Nordic Steel can continue to build step by step. The most important thing is that there is now sufficient space to grow further at the same location, at the Håland industrial area in Bryne.
It was the company's largest contract ever, when Nordic Steel signed with Statsbygg in June. Nordic Steel will develop and build a flow system for the Norwegian Ocean Technology Center in Trondheim. The contract is worth over NOK 200 million. The project includes design and engineering, with advanced flow and calculation models. In addition to manufacturing the entire system, Nordic Steel will also install it. The flow system consists of complex steel structures, which will be used in a large pool to test waves, currents and wind. The Norwegian Ocean Technology Center will be a world-leading center for education, research and innovation within the ocean industries. NTNU and Sintef Ocean will use the facility.
For the first time, we were going to be in a TV production, where we actually had the lead role. But we couldn't tell anyone about it.
Here is the story of when Nordic Steel produced the boxes in Boksen.
Throughout 2024, we worked with the production company Seefood. They actually contacted us as early as November 2023. Could we create a box that fit their program idea?
Producer Eirik Hamre showed us sketches and the first ideas for the program. This was a completely new idea, developed by Seefood itself, the same company behind Kompani Lauritzen, among others. With the risk of others copying the idea, and especially the element with the boxes, we had to keep the plans completely to ourselves.
At first, only the marketing department was in contact with Eirik Hamre and Seefood. But soon, professionals in engineering and design had to get involved. We wanted to make the 12 boxes they needed.
There were going to be people inside the boxes. So we had to take a lot into account. The box had to be tall enough for an adult, have enough space inside, a seat to sit on, and room for a camera and lights inside. Safety was a very important element. No edges had to be sharp, no one had to get stuck in the door or hit their head if they were to jump out of the box. The box also had to withstand lifting from a crane and a helicopter.
An important requirement was that the doors should be remotely controlled and opened simultaneously on all 12 boxes. The boxes are made of aluminum, to reduce weight, since they would be moved a lot. They also had to be easily disassembled and packed together. There were going to be competitions where the boxes had to get into tight spaces, in an elevator, on a beach or up stairs and on roofs. Therefore, it was a great advantage that they could be easily disassembled and carried around.
The cans also had to look good on TV. The production people from Seefood became frequent guests at Bryne throughout the spring of 2024. They considered camera angles, what looked best in the can. Plans were made for colors inside and outside. Everything had to go through Nordic Steel's production – without our people knowing what it would be used for.
“It’s going to be used in a TV show,” we told our colleagues. Those who worked on the boxes found out about this because they understood that these were something different from a regular customer, since they came with a camera and asked different questions than “regular” customers. Since the boxes were in production from February 2024, we knew that there was almost a year until the premiere on TV (January 2025). “It’s just as well that you don’t know what it’s going to be used for, then you don’t have to keep it a secret,” we said.
First we made a prototype. We had never made a box exactly like this before, it was good to have a starting point before we made 12 of them. Seefood also didn't really know what they needed until they saw a physical result. The first prototype was just a prototype, we made the next box a little lower and the exterior design was changed a little. The photographers for the program came to Bryne to test the lighting and sound conditions in the boxes. Everything in the production was adapted to the best possible TV program.
In Nordic Steel's production, the aluminum sheets were cut to size in the laser machine. The parts were bent in the press brakes and welded together, where they were to be held together. The box itself is a construction kit, so the finished parts were flat-packed and sent for painting. Back from the paint, the boxes – which were now yellow – were to be assembled in the workshop.
The chassis of the box is made with holes that fit a forklift or truck, to make it easy to move a fully assembled box. The bottom also houses the electronics and motor, which controls the opening of the doors.
At one point that spring, the workshop hall was full of yellow boxes. They were assembled and tested by us. We actually made 13 of them, because one of them was actually going to be used permanently for the knockout competition, in addition to the 12 participants each having their own box.
Saturday, May 18, 2024 was a beautiful day, with blue skies and sunshine. Seefood wanted to test all the boxes at the same time outside Nordic Steel and had hired a local photographer for the assignment. Now there were only days until the start of filming – and the technique worked as it should.
The cans were left safely at Nordic Steel for a few more days. Then a large group of production people from Seefood showed up. They wanted to paint the inside of the cans. Fortunately, the weather was still nice, and the painting work was done outdoors, while they tested lighting and camera angles. Many curious people at Nordic Steel became even more curious by this sight.
A few days later, all the boxes were shipped from Nordic Steel, and directly to the recording of the program. We had done our part – this time.
Now we just had to keep it a secret for the rest of the year. And we managed to do that!
We were on a company trip to Sicily from May 9th to 12th, 2024. A total of almost 200 people with employees and entourage. It was an unforgettable trip, with many memorable experiences. Here are some highlights:
• Pizza party in Catania, which ended up as a music and dance party
• Nature, views, charming streets and squares, small restaurants, an amphitheatre and shopping. Historic Taormina is one of the most popular destinations in Sicily – and we understand that.
• Mount Etna is Europe's highest and most active volcano. We hiked in the crater mountains. A unique experience!
• Wine tasting and tour of the Camporé winery at the foot of Etna. This was the absolute culinary highlight of the trip, and we got the recipe for the world's best pasta sauce
• Garden party at the hotel, with live music, dinner, dancing and fun
EY Entrepreneur of the Year
Børre Lobekk and Nordic Steel won the main category "Entrepreneur Of The Year" for the Southwest region during the regional final in Stavanger in November 2024.
– Since 2013, Nordic Steel has consolidated its position as a leading player in the steel industry and sustainable solutions. Børre Lobekk's strategic and forward-looking leadership has had a major impact on both the company's growth and development, and on the business community in Rogaland, said Cecilie Tunge Stoudt, regional leader for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Southwest.
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's largest growth creator program with awards in over 60 countries. The purpose of the growth creator program is to highlight and honor individuals who contribute ideas, invest capital and make personal efforts to create lasting value and jobs.
The competition distinguishes itself from other growth competitions by emphasizing the entrepreneur's role, values, leadership, and social and environmental commitment, as much as economic growth.
At Nordic Steel, we are proud of the projects we get to be a part of, both because they leave a mark and because they mean something to our customers and the society around us.
Throughout the year, we have contributed to large and important social projects – from advanced steel structures in construction, energy-efficient solutions for the offshore sector, innovative installations in aquaculture and solid contributions in transportation and infrastructure.
Our projects help build the country, create safe jobs and ensure that Norwegian industry continues to grow and develop. We are proud of our expertise, the people we have with us, and that through our projects we contribute to a strong and competitive business community.
We appreciate you taking the time to read about us at Nordic Steel. Whether you are an employee, customer, owner, partner – or just curious – we hope you have gained a good insight into who we are, what we stand for, and what we achieve together.
It is the people who make Nordic Steel. Professionals who are on every single day, who help our customers solve complex challenges, and who build the industry of the future. In 2024, we have taken new steps, together.
We have done what we said we would do – and then some. We have secured more space, acquired Acoustics, won our biggest contract ever and strengthened ourselves as a group. We have been on a company trip to Sicily, learned even more, developed ourselves professionally and lifted each other up. Together we have become even stronger.
Going forward, we will continue to work purposefully, build stone by stone, and deliver quality at every level. We will deliver to our customers, support each other internally, and be a safe and responsible player in society.
