For the Furnes Group, environment and sustainability are not add-ons but fully integrated into the company’s core business. With clear leadership commitment and systematic use of life cycle data, the company has demonstrated that climate documentation is not only a requirement from authorities and customers – it is also a competitive advantage. By embedding EPDs, product data and circularity into its business strategy, Furnes achieves lower emissions, smarter resource use, and increased profitability.
Market Leader with a Low Footprint
Furnes Jernstøperi, based in Stange, supplies manhole covers, frames and other cast iron components for road, water and sewage infrastructure across the Nordic region. In recent years, the company has won major contracts in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Oslo. The key to success has been a combination of low carbon footprint, return schemes, and third-party verified EPDs.
– We are market leaders in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and entered Finland last year. In tenders, environmental documentation makes the difference – it makes us net cheapest when CO₂ is weighted, says CEO Oddbjørn Maurdalen.
Anchored in Strategy – EPD in Tenders and Master Data
At Furnes, sustainability is part of the business plan – not a side project.
– We have a dedicated SD plan integrated into our strategy. Climate and environment are just as much part of our results as revenue and EBITDA, Maurdalen emphasizes.
For this to work, both owners and top management must be on board – just as when implementing a new ERP system. The company has systematized product data down to article level and made EPD values accessible in tenders and customer portals. The transition to Microsoft Dynamics 365 has also enabled customers and partners to download EPD, FDV and logistics data directly from the cloud.
– In tenders, we include CO₂ per product and total footprint, in addition to price and quantity. This allows wholesalers, municipalities and contractors to calculate total emissions for their projects.
Building Competence: From Foundry Floor to University
To make LCA and environmental data part of daily operations, Furnes has invested heavily in competence development. This includes collaboration with Chalmers on Lean, Jönköping University on metallurgy, and modular courses with Fagskolen Innlandet for supervisors and key operators.
– You cannot achieve precise environmental figures without people who know how to measure correctly and use resources efficiently, notes Maurdalen. Trade union representatives are also involved to ensure broad support.
Tangible Climate Impact and Circularity
Production has already changed in several areas. Two 8-ton melting furnaces are run with night-time load reduction to utilize off-peak power, grinding has been robotized – improving efficiency and halving sick leave – and heat recovery from the melting department via heat exchangers has been introduced, a major advantage when managing 30,000 square meters of building space.
– We are also using fully electric outdoor forklifts. It is a challenge in minus 20°C, but we have found a solution that works, he says.
Circularity is equally important: Used covers and frames are collected, cleaned, and recycled. Materials go straight back into new production.
– We are not just cradle-to-grave – but cradle-to-cradle. The alloys remain in the products, providing significant material gains, explains Maurdalen.
Customers Demand – and Auditors Follow Up
Large Nordic customers now expect documentation, audits and compliance with both the UN Global Compact and ethical guidelines.
– For us, supplier audits where EPD, LCA and transparency practices are reviewed regularly have become the norm, says Maurdalen.
He also highlights collaboration with concrete chains, including Basal, where footprints can be imported directly into projects via shared portals.
Common Rules for the Industry
Furnes actively participates in industry forums in Norway and Europe to ensure comparable EPDs across suppliers.
– We must measure consistently, according to ISO 14020/14025 – not the “rockfall method” of the old days. That way, we achieve credible figures that can be used in procurement.
At the same time, Maurdalen believes the Norwegian public sector is lagging:
– Although environmental weighting is often introduced, implementation in public tenders is moving too slowly. With NOK 800 billion in annual procurement, the sector must become better at comparing apples with apples. Today, competence varies too much across categories.
EPD: Cost or Investment?
Many fear that sustainability means higher costs. For Furnes, the experience is the opposite.
– In the beginning, we were early movers – without legislation to back us up. But today, we can document that the investment pays off in tenders, lower raw material use and lower energy consumption. Working systematically with the environment makes good business sense, Maurdalen underlines, pointing to the importance of hydropower for Norway’s competitiveness in energy-intensive industries.
The next step is about better data flow and control:
– Master data and ERP are critical. Excel alone is no longer sufficient. We want to share data broadly – but on our terms. Standardized product data and open interfaces with partners’ systems will be decisive for the pace of the green shift in the construction sector.
Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
On the opportunity side, Maurdalen points to large Nordic investments in infrastructure, also driven by increased defense budgets. Documented low emissions will provide a clear competitive edge. The challenge will be to raise the entire market to the same level and secure predictable frameworks for the industry.
– We need strong expertise and common rules. That way, industries in high-cost countries like Norway can compete and win on quality, climate and traceability, Maurdalen concludes.