Pretec, a leading supplier of steel products to the construction and contracting industry, utilizes LCA.no’s EPD-generator to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its products. This strategic choice supports the company’s ambitious sustainability goals and strengthens its competitiveness in an increasingly regulated market.
Pretec: A history of growth and innovation
Even Karlsen started small, importing and selling nails from a garage in Sarpsborg, Norway. The company has since developed into a significant player in its industry, with independent operations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, China, and India.
Nina Pettersen, CEO, joined Pretec in 1990 as the first employee and has been instrumental in shaping the company’s growth.
– We started with foundation bolts and then expanded into the prefab market in the early 1990s, says Pettersen. This led to the establishment of Pretec Sweden in 2004 and subsequent international expansion. Today, we have over 270 employees across various units.
Pretec operates in four segments in Norway: tunnel and securing of rock, prefab and concrete, steel and timber structures. They are a significant supplier to large infrastructure projects.
– We collaborate closely between sister companies, and Norway is our largest unit in terms of turnover, adds Pettersen.
Sustainability: An integral part of Pretec’s strategy
Pretec’s commitment to sustainability is a recurring theme. They actively work with CSRD and requirements for ESPR and have implemented a number of measures.
– We have always had a strong focus on sustainability, emphasizes Pettersen.
– This includes everything from being a good collaborative partner to supplier assessments and control in accordance with the transparency law. Our new building in Sarpsborg, for instance, has 15 geothermal wells and is self-sufficient in electricity from solar panels on the roof. This has also been implemented at several of our companies, including the factories in China.
Erik A. Karlsen, Sales Manager, underlines the importance of global sustainability efforts.
– Sustainability is about more than just a local approach, Karlsen points out . To make a global impact, we must be present and engaged internationally. Our factory in China, as an example, has stricter emission requirements than we do in Norway, and we actively contribute to improving sustainability efforts there and elsewhere in the world. Without a presence, we wouldn’t be able to do this important work.
Local sustainability award winner
Pretec recently won Sarpsborg municipality’s climate prize for its work with green technology, particularly for its significant investments in solar panel systems and geothermal energy.
– We were surprised and pleased with this award. We have invested heavily in solar panels and an energy optimization project to make the best possible use of the electricity we produce. We don’t know who nominated us, but we try to do our part, both in this area and in generally keeping things tidy around us and taking care of the surrounding nature. We focus on this at all levels. So I think that’s why we were nominated, says a happy Pettersen.
Collaboration with LCA.no and the development of an EPD strategy
The collaboration with LCA.no began after a request from the Norwegian Steel Federation.
– We needed to develop EPDs, and the first EPD we had made in China in 2016 was extremely expensive and time-consuming. It took a year and a half to produce and cost 300,000 kroner at the time, says Karlsen. With LCA.no, we have a far more efficient and cost-effective solution. We can now generate a significant number of EPDs annually, at least a hundred so far, which is crucial for our competitiveness.
Pretec has a proactive EPD strategy:
– It has become an industry requirement, and we must ensure we are at the forefront. It’s challenging, but done correctly, it will contribute to increased transparency and competitiveness.
Implementation and insight
The implementation of LCA.no’s solution has led to significant improvements in Pretec’s internal processes.
– The tools from LCA.no have given us the opportunity to work efficiently with data, improve, change, and adjust, which forces development, explains Karlsen. We use the analysis section to delve into the data and identify where we can further improve.
Pettersen adds:
– We learn something new every day and get a holistic view of our entire business. It gives us valuable insight into how we can reduce emissions.
Competitive advantage and future perspectives
Pretec’s investment in EPDs and LCA analyses has strengthened its competitiveness.
– A good EPD strategy has become important for winning bids and attracting customers who value sustainability, says Karlsen. We see that the demand for EPDs is steadily increasing, and we are well-prepared for the future.
Pretec encourages other companies to implement similar solutions.
– I would definitely say that this increases our competitiveness. If we are poor at documentation, we lose competitions, so it’s important for us to be good at this. But then it’s also important that we and others are compared on an equal footing, and that all parameters are taken into account.
– My appeal to building owners in particular is to thoroughly familiarize themselves with this matter and enter into a dialogue with us who create this. They need to properly understand what is in the EPDs and use them correctly when weighing them in tenders, emphasizes Karlsen.
Pretec also sees the implementation of digital product passports as a natural development going forward.
– We have invested in an IT project where everything will be in the cloud to be prepared, concludes Pettersen. This will further strengthen our digital position and contribute to a more efficient value chain.