FROM A SEED TO A SANCTUARY
FAMILY RUN BUSINESS DEROME HAS CREATED A SEAMLESS EVOLUTIONARY PATH THAT BEGINS WITH SUSTAINABLE TREE PLANTATIONS AND ULTIMATELY PRODUCES QUALITY PREFABRICATED HOUSING, WRITES MICHAEL DOLPHIN.
Based in Veddige, Sweden, since its inception in 1946, Derome Group has established itself as one of the most progressive examples of how a vertically integrated company can effectively utilise every element of its harvested logs.
From biofuel to packaging solutions, from roof trusses through to prefabricated houses, Derome is an enlightened demonstration of how a renewable resource can be successfully managed. With approximately 1750 employees and revenues of over $1 billion (AUD), the company’s business model has thrived in a climate where timber is embraced culturally and structurally.
With 11 different forestry and lumber related businesses operating under the Derome umbrella, the company works closely with forest owners to harvest the lumber which is then processed at one of its four sawmills. It’s an exact exercise in scanning, cutting, strength grading, finger jointing and pressure treating every log. Nothing is left unused, and all waste material is then used to heat the processing and manufacturing plants.
“We are the largest manufacturer of prefabricated walls and trusses in Sweden and also have an in-house design team,” confirms Derome’s Johan Lundberg. “We operate 24/7 where the customer can order [timber] the day before and have it to their site the day after.” There is also the capability to build trusses up to 28 metres in length either for commercial or domestic use, says Lundberg.
Prefabricated homes
As part of a broader offering to the Swedish and European markets, Derome also supplies hundreds of new homes each year under the A-hus and Varbergshus brands.
A-hus
A production facility in Anneberg builds the range of detached houses known as A-hus, comprising ready-to-occupy detached homes and wooden houses in kits. The focus is on building houses with well- designed layouts that place greater emphasis on energy efficiency.
A-hus Pro
As the name suggests, A-hus Professional targets commercial customers and developers in Sweden and abroad. Prefabricated, energy-efficient components are produced in Anneberg and cater for anything from small houses through to large construction projects.
Varbergshus
This division within the group builds architecturally designed homes from inception through to completion in approximately four months.
Derome’s suite of homes is the ultimate manifestation of company that appears to embody the way in which Sweden’s timber and construction industry have evolved. This fully integrated company is involved with forest stewardship, a state of the art sawmill and design and construction. The result is a cost effective, sustainable, efficiently designed end product.■
