VILPE’s biggest investment in the company’s history – A new office and warehouse space in the capital region
VILPE Oy, a ventilation and roofing company from Mustasaari in Finland, is investing 5.25 million euros in the construction of a new energy-efficient office in Vantaa. The company invests heavily in growth and development, strengthening its position as a pioneer of new smart solutions while expanding its services to the capital region.
“The interest in our smart products that lower operating costs of real estate has increased significantly in the last 12 months. The weak economic situation in construction has opened an interesting investment opportunity for our family business. The biggest investment in our history will raise our service level in the capital region to a new level in low-pitched roofs and large-scale construction. The investment also enables recruitment of new talents, especially from the software industry, to work with our smart products”, says VILPE CEO Tuomas Saikkonen.
The new location contains both office and storage space, meaning that VILPE can offer the capital region a wider selection of special roof accessories for pitched roofs than before. The office is located along excellent transport connections at the intersection of Ring III and Finnish national road 3 next to Vehkala station. The office and warehouse space will enhance both logistics and service, and act as a central service point for professionals in low-pitched roofs and smart construction in the capital region.
Certified environmentally friendly spot
VILPE is committed to domestic and environmentally friendly operations. The total area of the new building will be 3575 m2, of which VILPE owns about 2200 m2 and the construction company JHM-Invest Group about 1400 m2. The new office and warehouse will be built in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Environmental friendliness is a priority, and the building utilizes geothermal energy and solar power plants, among other things. In addition, the site will have approximately 400 m2 of green roof. The site will have BREEAM Excellent-level certification. There are only a handful of similar buildings in Finland. EcoReal Oy acts as environmental performance consultant at the site.
“We are building high-quality facilities for VILPE with good design and modern building technology. The starting point for the whole project has been high environmental values,” says JHM-Invest CEO Mikko Hakkarainen, who works as contractor in the project. “Modern building technology will be integrated into the building, combining geothermal heat, a solar power plant and a smart roof. The green roof aims to reduce the load on the public storm water network. The BREEAM environmental certificate will be concrete proof of the project’s progress,” Hakkarainen continues.
Courage to invest despite the market situation
VILPE’s historic investment strongly supports the company’s growth strategy and shows courage in a weak market cycle. The new location strengthens the company’s position as a roofing specialist in the capital region, where the company has previously had a small location in Espoo since 1978. After the new site is completed in Vantaa, the company will close the office in Espoo.
“If a financially stable family business did not dare to invest in future growth due to the weak current construction market in Europe, we as a continent would be in quite a bad way. We are committed to domestic expertise and domestic research and development work. We have new, unique technology that can reduce the maintenance cost of properties. The market for this is huge, both domestically and in export markets, and our new location will serve as a springboard for our internationalization”, states Tuomas Saikkonen.
The architectural firm for the project is Peltonen & Sinisalo, which has designed an innovative building that blends into the area, with the concept name “Smart house”. In terms of interior architecture, VILPE has continued to cooperate with Studio Joanna Laajisto, which renewed the company’s headquarters. The interior design emphasizes domestic materials and an innovative spirit, and the new spaces offer an inspiring environment for both staff and visitors.
“The market situation in the industry is still challenging, but we see this as an excellent opportunity to build. With this investment, we turn our attention from a challenging year towards future growth. By combining our strong industrial expertise with cutting-edge technology, we will triple our turnover this decade. We have already recruited several new experts this year, and we will continue to recruit as the Vantaa project progresses towards its completion in March 2025,” says Tuomas Saikkonen.
Construction of the site in collaboration with:
Contractor: JHM-Invest
Architectural firm: Peltonen & Sinisalo
Interior design: Studio Joanna Laajisto
Environment and sustainability: EcoReal
Telecommunications: Main IT