References - Rauanheimo

Rauanheimo

Warehouse constructed in the harbour in four weeks

When Rauanheimo found itself in an urgent need of more space in Vuosaari Harbour for storing its customers’ timber and pulp, Best-Hall’s turnkey delivery and the possibility to erect a high-quality building directly onto the asphalt were the answer.

Warehouses are essential for the business operations of Rauanheimo, which provides storage services. When a customer needs more storage space, the company needs to be able to provide it quickly. In this context, a reliable partner that can provide a durable high-quality building within a short time frame is extremely valuable.

“The benefit of Best-Hall buildings is that they require much lighter groundwork and foundations than normal, which provides more placement options in the already cramped harbour area. The astoundingly short construction time also ensures that we can provide the customer access very quickly,” Project Manager Timo Taavitsainen of Rauanheimo Oy says.

The steel-frame warehouse built for Rauanheimo in Vuosaari Harbour in February 2019 was complete and ready for goods storage within four weeks of the plinth work. Before that, Best-Hall’s factory in Kälviä had spent a couple of months designing and manufacturing the custom-made steel frame and obtaining the building permit. In May, a steel-cladded office building was also constructed next to the warehouse.

A pillar-free warehouse is a fork lift driver’s dream

The new warehouse building was the second Best-Hall building in Vuosaari. Rauanheimo bought the first one second hand from another operator. Based on earlier good experiences, building another matching building was a no-brainer.

“We need to be able to drive fork lifts inside the building and move timber around. A warehouse structure of this kind that enables 40 metres of unobstructed width is superior in every imaginable way,” Taavitsainen says in praise of the building.

“Pillars and posts are always an operational hindrance to mobility and product positioning in warehousing and production. The steel structure and steel pile anchoring method enable us to construct buildings that provide up to 80 metres of pillar-free width,” Best-Hall’s Raimo Saari explains.

Warehouse construction as a competitive advantage

Rauanheimo uses the warehouses to store its customers’ timber and pulp materials, which they then ship abroad by sea.

“The security of the warehouse is also key, so that our customers can count on their valuable goods to be safe with us. In this sense, a Best-Hall building is also a competitive advantage, because they are known throughout Finland as safe and durable, and therefore desirable to customers.

For example, the humidity balance can be adjusted to an optimal level for storing timber.

Thanks to its location and direct railway links to the warehouses, Vuosaari is strategically important to Rauanheimo, and the company wants to develop and expands its operations in the harbour.

“Once we find available spots, we will be sure to build corresponding Best-Hall buildings here and in other harbours we operate,” Taavitsainen says, envisioning the future.