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Adding Czech & Slovak power to Nordic projects

9/1/2014 1:45 PM CET
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Connecting the dots – the Skanska way to express boundless co-operation – may be easier to preach than practicing. But Skanska Czech and Slovak Republics are doing it big scale - adding their expertise to Nordic Projects.

Since 2005, a number of roads, bridges and tunnels in Finland, Norway and Sweden could be labeled "One Skanska Made" thanks to a close cooperation between Nordic and Slovak or Czech units. Through internal collaboration Skanska's Central European units share both expertise and laborer. The Nordic projects gain competitive edge while creating job opportunities for the Czech and Slovakia colleagues.

The win-win concept is a proven success. Since 2005 hundreds of Czech and Slovak colleagues participated in Nordic projects for longer or shorter periods. And the "Nordic branch" of Skanska CZ & SK last year had sales of about SEK 105 Million.

Looking for new opportunities

Ivan Magdolen, District Manager for the Nordic venture, and Roman Pračko, sales manager, are scouting for Nordic projects that could be suitable for Central European teams.

Roman is sharing his time between the Nordic capitals. He is a familiar face in Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm. Both Ivan and Roman have many years in the industry including numerous international projects and about ten years in Skanska. Now they both focus on the Nordic markets.

"Our task is to add value at both ends. Our expertise and experience in certain project types, like concrete structures and underground work, can definitely help the Nordic units to win new contracts and to outperform in the production phases," Roman says.

Collapsing home markets

"This also creates good work opportunities since our home markets more or less collapsed some years ago."

"We have employed approximately 200 staff which in turn resulted in 200 satisfied families. Most of these employees would most likely have been unemployed without this cooperation," Ivan says.

"This is obviously benefitting both employees and the company – satisfied and highly professional employees are great asset."

A perfect match

The Nordic market is larger and offers more projects with interesting and technical challenges. And the cooperation is a perfect match in Ivan’s and Roman’s view.

"The Nordic staff is dedicated to planning and technical preparation in the office and our people are better at tackling production challenges and executing complex technical solutions on site. It is an ideal combination for a successful project execution."

"Our laborers are more efficient and work with higher "drive". It is satisfying them personally more in comparison to the Nordic workers."

Constructive atmosphere

Ivan and Roman find the work atmosphere very positive.
"Negotiations are always very effective and held in constructive atmosphere. We have made great friends in the Nordic organizations," says Ivan. 

"Nordic colleagues are cooperative, open minded and target focused. I feel both sides have learnt a lot from the cooperation and we are confident it will prove successful in the future too. Hopefully, we can be part of the new interchange and bypass projects Nya Slussen and Förbifart Stockholm as well as other potential Nordic Civil construction projects. Next year we can celebrate the 10th anniversary of the cooperation," Roman concludes.

Czech/Slovak cooperation in Nordic projects

Finland
2005 Mariehamn waste water treatment plant on Åland island
2005 Vuoli harbor project, Helsinki
2006 – drill & blast excavation of road tunnels on the E18 PPP highway Helsinki – Turku
2006 concrete works on nuclear power station Lovissa
2008 water tunnel Vanhakaupunki-Pitkäkoski, north of Helsinki
2012 Keherata railway tunnel and Lansi metro, Helsinki

Sweden
2007 Norra Länken NL 101 Access tunnel, Stockholm
2008 Norra Länken NL11 main tunnel excavation
2009 Norra Länken NL11concrete tunneling works
2009 and 2010 Norra Länken NL 11 wins the Road Administration’s national award for the Best Health, Safety & Environment Site
2010-2013 Norra Länken NL52 concrete bridge roundabout, ramp and concrete tunnel
2012-2013 Hallandsås railway tunnel
2011 Graversfors tunnels, Norrköping
2011 Norra station NS12
2013 - now SL Norsborg metro depo
2013 - now Fredriksdal Bus Depot

Norway
2012-2014 Gulli bridge construction project utilizing incremental launching
2012 Hoyanger, Eiriksdal and Makkoren hydro power plant
2012 – now UHN Holmestrand railway stations Holm and Fibo
2013- now UFP01Vassbotn bridge & other objects, Vestfold, Larvik