The largest builders and real estate developers of Southern Norway were on a study visit to Estonia
21. September 2015

The objective of the three-day visit that ended on 18th of September was to take a closer look at the manufacturing of prefab and modular homes and create contacts with Estonian architects and woodhouse manufacturers.
“Estonia continues to be the biggest exporter of wooden houses in Europe and several of our companies serve as the most important pioneers in the field at an international level. As a result, international interest in our sector and manufacturers is also constantly growing,” Manager of the Estonian Woodhouse Cluster Lauri Kivil commented on the background of the visit of Norwegians.

One of the biggest banks in Norway, SpareBank 1, has developed a good practice to organise client events, where the most important clients are taken to foreign countries with an aim to be introduced with various cooperation options. A representative delegation of 36 members that visited Estonia was mainly comprised of the top managers of the largest construction companies and real estate developers of Southern Norway. KOKO architects showed the visitors the most outstanding architectural objects of recent times located in Tallinn, and the delegation also visited the modular home factory of the second-largest woodhouse manufacturer in Estonia, Harmet OÜ, in Saue.

“Norwegians are known as very demanding and conscious clients, especially in the field of wooden houses, where they have very long traditions,” Member of the Board of Nordic Houses KT, a woodhouse manufacturing company, Argo Saul said and added: “We are greatly honoured that they decided to come precisely to Estonia to have a closer look at the options of wooden house building.”

The study visit culminated in a seminar, which specifically focused on the manufacturing of prefab and modular homes. It is known that both Estonia and Norway both have long-term traditions of building wooden houses, and it is important to share experiences and keep abreast of current developments in the market.

“The visit will certainly create an excellent baseline for future business relationships, and contributes to further stimulation of the export of Estonian wooden houses to Norway and strengthens the existing cooperation,” Saul confirmed.

Over the recent years, Estonia has become known as the biggest EU exporter of wooden houses – the production of local woodhouse manufacturers has reached 70 countries. Nearly 40 % of production is exported to Norway.

The construction companies and real estate developers of Southern Norway on a study visit concerning the woodhouse sector of Estonia