The market has gone down since early summer for Tinde. The situation beyond the autumn is experienced as dramatic. The company is still building on cabins that were ordered last year. But when there are hardly any new orders, production will also stop. – It will hit us on the floor in 2022 and it will hit us on production, i.e. sales, in 2023, says managing director Audun Skattebo. He expects to build around 300 Tinde cabins in 2022. By next year, he hopes for 100. It was Gd.no that first mentioned the matter. Have notified employees Even if Tinde hyttar may experience a historic turnover in 2022, Skattebo does not believe that the decline is about the market stabilizing. – In our opinion, this is nowhere near a “normalisation”. As it is now, we will fall well below the market we saw in 2012 and 2013. On Wednesday, the employees were warned that more than 50 people will lose their jobs. Of these, 25 have been appointed in administration, hall and leasing. The rest of the employees are taken out of production. – It will apply to some extent now, and then there will be a gradual reduction throughout the winter in line with production decline, says Skattebo. The trustees do not wish to comment on the matter today. DEMANDING PROCESSES: – We have had a very good process with the shop stewards over the past month. It is important for us to follow up those employees who are unfortunately made redundant, says Skattebo. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Costs of timber and other building materials are a challenge in the construction industry. The interest also starts to matter, both for those who will build and for the customers. At the same time, the electricity prices mean that there will be variations in the cottage market on a national basis, believes the Association of Housing Manufacturers. – We see a difference, especially in the east and inland on the one hand, and north of Dovre on the other. It is probably related to the fact that electricity prices cause many people to “sit on the fence” and wait. You don’t have that situation in the north, says managing director Lars Jacob Hiim of the Housing Manufacturers’ Association. Now they want to get an overview of what is important to the industry so that they can take it on to political authorities. – This is an important district industry, and he has big ripple effects. It will be noticed around many municipalities that there will now be this brake. MAJOR TRENDS INFLUENCE: Lars Jacob Hiim has seen the development. – We see that there is a fairly clear brake in the cottage market now. There are many who report demanding times and that the saddle dropped a lot. Photo: Johnny Syversen / Press photo Believes in new thinking Kjell Ove Solbakken believes there has been an artificially high demand for holiday homes. – In recent years, we have seen an increasing demand from young families, and now many of them are probably noticing the rise in interest rates. Solbakken is a daily leader in Norwegian tourism development. Although the situation is dramatic now, he does not want to predict a crisis for holiday homes in the district in the longer term. Solbakken believes that well-established residents will still ask for holiday homes. He also sees a possible rise in the market from in and around the big cities in Europe. At the same time, foreign tourists may want a different form of holiday home. – We are now seeing a trend towards more affordability and sensible development concepts, in the form of smaller and more cost-effective units. THE SUM OF UNFORTUNATE FACTORS: Kjell Ove Solbakken believes that the fall in the cottage market is temporary. He points out that the industry is important for housing, employment and service provision in the districts of Norway. – That is why it is important that we also think long-term and see this as an important part of district policy. Photo: Private “The cabin dream lives on” Although it will take time, Skattebo in Tinde cottages has faith that the market will pick up again. He believes many people still have the “cottage dream”. – It will be important to find that platform and the basis for further operations so that we can come back stronger than ever in two to three years. Skattebo believes the government must now go out and see how things are in business in the districts. He believes that the serious consequences of an unstable world image will come faster than the government has managed to see. – I think the governing authorities must place emphasis on handling these challenges, he concludes. SYMPATHY WITH TINDE: Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre still believes that the government has come up with a good electricity scheme for business. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre sympathizes with the cabin manufacturer, but: – It is sad to hear about the challenges Tinde Hytter is facing. At the same time, large parts of Norwegian business are doing very well and we now have almost record low unemployment. I understand that there are variations between industries which means that not everyone recognizes themselves in this picture. Jan Christian Vestre refers, among other things, to the energy prices and the measures the government has implemented, including the proposal for tax changes in the power industry which they are targeting to come into force from the new year, and which he believes will improve the situation for the affected companies.
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