The parent company of Natre Vinduer AS, Dovista Norge, has proposed to the board to close its branch at Hemnes. The company confirms this to news on Tuesday evening. Production manager in Dovista Norway, Kjetil Gjerdalen, says that he cannot say anything about the probability of one or the other, but that it looks dark. – We are in a demanding market situation that affects the entire building and construction industry. We will search with lights and lanterns, but we have not yet found alternative solutions that are sustainable over a long period of time. Kjetil Gjerdalen, production director at Dovista Norway. Photo: Lars-Petter Kalkenberg / news Half goes south The company only two months ago hired a new factory manager. – How can that happen, has the market changed so quickly? – The market situation has changed over the summer. We see rising interest rates, war in Ukraine, strong inflation and few stimulating political signals. The entire industry is now facing a demanding period. Our challenge is that the situation will not improve over the next few years, says the production manager. He says that the factory in Gjøvik has spare capacity, and that half of the production in Hemnes is sent south. – Then it will be difficult to compete. we will also cover the northern Norwegian market, but we believe that the jobs that remain will be safer if we gather it into a stronger unit. Kevin Lien is factory manager at Hemnes, and was hired just two months ago. Kevin Lien, factory manager at Natre Hemnesberget. Photo: Lars-Petter Kalkenberg / news He says that it is a boring message to receive, but that he thinks mostly of the other employees who have been there longer. – It is insanely sad to receive that message, and I feel for the employees who have worked here all their working lives. – But isn’t it sad when you’ve been employed here such a short time ago? – It is obviously boring for me to receive that message. But my thoughts go more to the 100 employees who will potentially lose a cornerstone company in a month’s time. Torstein Sørensen has worked at Natre AS for 34 years. Now it may soon be over. Photo: Lars-Petter Kalkenberg / news Employed for 34 years Torstein Sørensen is one of the people who has worked the longest at the company, and has been employed there for 34 years. He says that it has been a big shock to receive this message, and that they thought it would be a downsizing in the worst case. – It is terribly sad to receive such a message, and a very big shock. We have seen that there has been a lot of friction, but I and several others had not imagined this here. We might have envisioned a downsizing, he says. When Natre Vinduer AS bought Trenor, which has existed since 1925, big promises were made, according to Sørensen. It looks bad now. According to him, there is a 90 percent chance that the factory will be closed down. – We were promised that there would be nursery development, houses and a boost for the region and the municipality. It didn’t turn out that way. But we can only hope that the high-ups in the company manage to find out that it is possible to continue here, because it is an insanely great factory. – Just sad – This is sad both for the employees and for the whole community at Hemnes, says county council leader Elin Dahlseng Eide (Ap) in Nordland to news. She refers to the factory on Hemnesberget, a town with around 1,200 inhabitants, as a cornerstone company. – Over a hundred jobs could disappear in a small municipality in our county. The ripple effects go well beyond the hundreds, considering both the families and the local community they live in. Mayor of Hemnes, Paul Asphaug (Sp) says that they fear that there will be closure. – What I am most concerned about are the poor workers who may lose their jobs. Some are just buying a home, and there are families in the picture here. It’s just plain sad. Paul Asphaug (Sp) is mayor of Hemnes municipality with 4,490 inhabitants. Photo: Frank Nygård / news – We know that a final decision will not be made until 25 September, but we fear and are prepared for closure. The fact that the factory may be closed is something that will hit the municipality and its residents hard. – For the municipality, a closure means a lot. There are over 100 jobs that could disappear. Many will probably leave the municipality. It is a cornerstone business. Asking the state for help Natre Vinduer is one of the country’s largest manufacturers of windows and doors. According to Natre itself, 400 people have their workplace in the company. Natre also has factories in Gjøvik and Vatne. In 2006, Natre became part of the Danish Dovista group. On 1 June 2017, Natre Vinduer AS bought all shares in Trenor Vinduer AS, a company that has existed on Hemnesberget since 1925. – We now want to sit down and talk to the municipality and the company to see if we can find a solution. If that does not lead to progress, we will start the work to look at the possibility of putting a state restructuring process in place. Hemnes is an important and viable municipality in Nordland, says Dahlseng Eide. Several municipalities in Nordland have recently had the status of restructuring municipalities. Among others, Andøy after the closure of the military air station. Elin Dahlseng Eide (Ap) is county council leader in Nordland. She believes this is a sad matter for the municipality and the employees. Photo: ThorWiggo Skille Received diversity award It has been less than a year since Natre Vinduer in Hemnes was named “Diversity Business of the Year” for outstanding use of immigrants’ skills. The inclusive working life was highlighted when the award was presented. Now that could be the hook on the door for window production at the Natre department in Nordland.
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The window factory in Hemnes may be shut down – over 100 employees may lose their jobs – news Nordland
