Towards light and new houses  

Lapwall Corporation's Business Director Kari Viljamaa emphasizes that it is not worth and should not be hidden behind a weak market.   

"You can easily save yourself from death there. But when you make decisions that keep the business running smoothly, it also creates a good foundation for future success."  

Lapwall, which specializes in the industrial prefabrication of standardized wooden elements, has become known for its roof, wall and floor elements. They are widely used in public buildings, residential construction and hall-type buildings. The elements shorten the lead time of construction projects and reduce costs. No time is wasted on the construction site when the prefabricated elements arrive at the site at the right time. Of course, this requires very good management of the supply chain.  

Tripling capacity  

The listed company Lapwall has factories in Pyhännä, Pälkäne and Veteli, as well as offices in Oulu and Vantaa.  

A new 19 million euro factory is also nearing completion at the current factory site in Pyhännäs. The investment will enable the production capacity of wall and roof element system products to be tripled.  

According to Viljamaa, the new Pyhäntän factory was planned even before the coronavirus. However, the pandemic stopped the project and the plans were shelved. 

"After the break, we restarted the planning, but then the entire construction market took a turn for the worse. However, we made the investment decision with the idea that we would be ready when the upturn starts again." 

The wall and roof element system products factory in Pyhännäs, which will feature extensive industrial automation, will be completed during the current year, 2025.  

“Right now, it seems like our timing was quite right. Construction is expected to pick up next year. We will then be able to respond well to the growth in demand.” 

The great importance of public construction  

The goals set by the Ministry of the Environment to increase the use of wood in public construction to promote sustainability and low-carbon construction have also been reflected in Lapwall's operations.  

“The impact has been clear. If we were only in the residential construction sector as we started 14 years ago, our situation, like many of our competitors, would be very challenging. Residential construction is low. And private construction, which consists mostly of wooden houses, has been significantly quieter than normal for a long time. We have been particularly successful in hybrid construction projects for public buildings, among other things because our product offering based on standard structures is broad and suitable for even larger construction sites.” 

Hybrid Viljamaa refers to sites whose structures contain wood, concrete, and steel.   

“All materials are suitable for the same building, because they all have their best places,” notes Viljamaa.  

The Jääkärinkangas multi-purpose building in Oulu is a prime example of a hybrid project to which Lapwall supplies a wall and roof element system. The building, which will be completed in 2026, will house, among other things, a daycare center, comprehensive school, youth facilities, a multi-purpose hall and a library under one roof. Over 16.000 m² of wall and roof element system products were supplied to this project.