From sports to agriculture – Best-Hall has it all covered
WHAT TO DO when global warming makes it more difficult to engage in winter sport activities because of warmer temperatures? The sportclub Atlanten Kuntsis As in Kristiansund, Norway decided to build a covered arena for ice hockey and skating. After consulting several different suppliers, the choice fell on Finnish Best-Hall.
“This was a technically challenging project; the lot was narrow and we had to plan everything very carefully to fit in the arena”, recalls Best-Hall CEO Leif Fagernäs. The steel-framed hall in Kristiansund is covered with a white PVC fabric which lets in daylight, but also protects people from wind, rain and snow.
IN ADDITION TO the project in Norway, global warming touches Best-Hall’s activities in many other ways as well. The company has recently developed a model for calculating the carbon footprint of each hall they build. In addition, BestHall carries out an ambitious program to reduce their energy consumption and to reuse leftover material in production.
“At the moment, this is not something that customers ask us to do. However, we want to be proactive when it comes to sustainability. Regulation is on its way in many countries”, explains Sales and Marketing Manager Pia Anttiroiko.
BEST-HALL’S PRODUCTS are sold all over the world, and exports began soon after the company was founded in 1975. All in all, the company has manufactured over 5,000 halls, the biggest of them being over 40,000 square metres in size. The halls can be used for almost anything; as aviation hangars, like the hall at JFK in New York, or as oil and gas warehouses, like the giant hall that is currently under delivery to Oman.
“There are still some prejudices about fabriccovered halls. However, as our list of references grows longer, it is easier to assure potential customers that these halls really work. Our biggest competitive advantage is that we do everything in-house, which guarantees high quality”, says Fagernäs.
