Sapa signed an agreement with the international flooring solutions company BerryAlloc for the delivery of aluminum skirtings for BerryAlloc’s wet room panels and laminated floor products. Sapa will deliver 37.5 million skirtings from its extrusion plant in Magnor, Norway.
Sapa’s first deliveries to BerryAlloc – profiles used in wall coverings for kitchens and bathrooms – left the Magnor plant in February. In March, the plant began shipping aluminum extrusions for BerryAlloc’s high-tech laminate flooring, Grand Avenue. This new laminate flooring uses a newly developed and patented aluminum locking system, which provides a tight joint designed to not break even with the heaviest weights or the highest foot traffic. New machines developed and built by Tronrud in Hønefoss were installed at both BerryAlloc and Sapa for the manufacture of this system. Thanks to its high-pressure surface, the Grand Avenue flooring is suitable for use in high-traffic areas like hotels, restaurants, shops, offices, and airport terminals. The new skirtings enable the entire floor to be installed in record time.
BerryAlloc had previously been receiving its aluminum products from a supplier in China. “I find it exciting that automation and the smart use of technology can make it profitable to move production closer to our customers and business operations,” said general manager John Vonli of BerryAlloc Norway. “This is a good example of modern Norwegian industrial cooperation.”
New Equipment in Magnor
Sapa invested in new manufacturing equipment at its plant in Magnor, Norway, from Norwegian supplier Tronrud Engineering. The new sorting machine can handle 4,500 profiles per hour by cutting and sorting profiles at an extremely fast pace. Sintef Raufoss Manufacturing contributed expertise in industrialization and project management in the project.
“Companies that compete internationally need to have world-class production and logistics,”said Henrik Futtrup, managing director of Sapa Profiles in Magnor. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a dynamic manufacturer like BerryAlloc and show that automation and high productivity can make us competitive also in high-cost countries.”
According to Egil Hogna, Sapa president and CEO, Sapa has strong faith in Norwegian industry. “We see that many customers, here in Norway and elsewhere in Europe and North America, want to be closer to their suppliers,” he said. “It is possible to win in global competition and to build efficient and profitable industry by concentrating on what we are good at and by investing in new tools and employee development. Using our knowledge and talented people, we can develop manufacturing solutions and improve material use in production.”
