Honkarakenne has years of experience in crafting beautiful, high-quality log houses, and they are a pioneer in healthy and ecological living. Around 2009-2010 during product development, a need arose for seal profiles that could be automatically installed in their facilities. At the time, the installation was always done on the worksite. Installing the profiles in advance, instead of on-site, would improve the quality of the insulation and speed up the construction process on the worksite when building the log frame. It was crucial for Honkarakenne that the insulation between the logs would be high quality. Other important factors when choosing their manufacturer were also the longevity of the seals and the price range.
Jukka Valtonen, purchasing manager, and Juha-Matti Hanhikoski, vice president at Honkarakenne both agree that they were the first in log construction to use automatically installed profiles. “No one else in the log business was using this kind of profile, for several years it was a competitive factor for us,” Hanhikoski notes. The seals used between logs are the same form and material as those used in windows and doors, except slightly tailored for the specific purpose of Honkarakenne.
Tailor-made tools for the best results
At the time, Honkarakenne had several, mainly Finnish operators to choose from. After facing some challenges regarding product development with their first contractor they chose to work with V.A.V. Group. One of the key factors for choosing us at V.A.V. Group was the support and help we were able to offer in product development and profile installation. We already had experience in automatic profile installation and supplied machine-installed seals for other, similar needs. The cost of supply was also a factor, but not the first thing in their minds, according to Hanhikoski: “Some other supplier could have been cheaper, but the service and support we get from V.A.V. Group has proved worth it.”
During production development we worked together with Honkarakenne on a daily basis, helping and working out issues that came with the out-of-the-box prototype machine that secures the profile to the logs. Together we fine-tuned the machine until it was right for the job. We offered support in equipment acquisition and helped in figuring out the best profile and material for Honkarakenne.
Consistent support, quality, and supply
When it comes to acquisitions, Honkarakenne looks for long-lasting partners, once that offer support when it’s needed. Our supply for them has expanded to include profiles for zero-corners, where the logs don’t protrude outside of the frame. These profiles are also tailor-made. All profiles and their quality is crucial to Honkarakenne, as they need to function consistently in the log for the full lifecycle of the building.
“As long as the basics, like service reliability, quality and costs are in order, our interests will remain the same,” says Valtonen about the future with us. It is important for us at V.A.V. Group to offer the same consistent service, support, and supply, whether we’ve worked together for 10 years, or are just getting started.
