References - Salvos Finland

Salvos Finland

Spacious and energy-efficient production building to boost the production of log cabins

Salvos Finland Oy, manufacturer of log cabins made from northern wood, wanted to boost its increased production by building a factory facility where they could build an assembly line optimised for their process. Best-Hall’s pillar-free fabric structure was the perfect solution – and even more energy-efficient than the company dared to hope for.

When Salvos’s old production building became an obstacle to the company’s growth, the company decided to plan the next one to be so great that it would not stand in the way of efficiency. The assembly lines of the car industry were used as examples for the facility.

“We began to design two fabric-covered buildings, with focus on the production. First, we figured out the most efficient ways of building and storing log saunas, cabins and outdoor buildings. Next, we asked Best-Hall to build the walls around this optimal production line,” says Joni Koskelo, the financial director of Salvos.

Koskelo thinks that the pillar-free fabric structure enabling a large span length is an excellent choice for industrial operations.

“We received more than 7,000 m² of connected, spacious production and storage facility without any restrictions caused by beams or pillars. From a constructor’s viewpoint this is exceptional: no one else than Best-Hall can provide a concept such as this.

Surprising energy-efficiency with a fabric structure

The walls and ceilings of both of the new buildings were insulated, which ensured suitable temperatures both in summer and winter. Heat is generated with wood chip that is a by-product of the company’s production operations. The company has its own heating plant, where the wood chips are used as fuel. Even though the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution was one of Salvos’s arguments for choosing Best-Hall, the energy savings enabled by the fabric-covered building still came as a surprise.

“Even though we have a great deal more square metres to heat, the heating costs are smaller than before. The energy savings brought by the building constructed with Best-Hall’s methods and the decreased consumption of wood chips really came as positive surprises,” Koskelo says.

The best for production’s needs

The doors of both the assembly and storage building’s end walls were positioned according to forklift routes to facilitate the efficiency of logistics. Open canopies were also built for the storages for logistical purposes.

“An open canopy is a cost-efficient way of increasing weather-protected storage space. It is much more comfortable to transport the materials or finished products into production areas or to loading areas for customer transport under a canopy than under the open sky,” says Jari Hietala from Best-Hall.

Joni Koskelo praises Best-Hall for understanding the needs of production operations and for their strong construction know-how. According to him, Best-Hall’s operational and construction methods are exceptionally customer-centric.

“We got everything we wanted. The construction process was even faster than we thought and the end result exceeded all expectations,” Koskelo summarises.