The Plus creates numerous profitable jobs in Norway

Who has contributed to building the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factory, The Plus?

Vestre has invested approximately NOK 350 million in the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factory. In 2020, the project received around NOK 35 million from public funding schemes, including support for groundbreaking innovations. Vestre has used NOK 90 million of accumulated equity and secured loans to finance the factory. Eidskog municipality has contributed with establishment grants.

Our goal with The Plus was to create a smart, unique and transparent furniture factory that increases interest in design, technology and sustainable production. Vestre wanted to prove that there is no contradiction between being environmentally uncompromising and creating profitable export jobs in rural Norway. We have succeeded in this.

More than 100 stakeholders

Major ripple effects for private businesses
The Plus is the largest investment in the Norwegian furniture industry in several decades. More than 100 suppliers contributed to realising The Plus in just 18 months, mainly during the pandemic. This has created new, profitable jobs and positive ripple effects for businesses in the region.

The Plus is predominantly privately financed
Vestre has invested over NOK 315 million in private equity and bank loans to realise The Plus. Public funding schemes have, through standard application processes, allocated approximately NOK 35 million to the project, or around 10% of the investment, distributed as follows:

The Plus received NOK 8.3 million in support from Enova in 2020. This funding covered climate and energy measures that earned The Plus its BREEAM Outstanding certification as the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factory. These measures cost at least NOK 60 million to implement. The experience gained from The Plus can be transferred to other projects, enabling them to achieve similarly high environmental standards at lower cost. Feel free to read more about the project descriptions (Norwegian, PDFs): Enova decision 2020, Enova decision 2021, and Enova technology portfolio.

The Plus received approximately NOK 27 million in support from Innovation Norway. This funding supports innovative production technology and skills development, addressing the need for more knowledge-based jobs in the rural area where the factory is located.

Good cooperation with the municipality
Eidskog municipality has also supported The Plus with NOK 11.3 million in establishment grants.

In 2019, the municipality invited Vestre to set up operations locally. Work had already begun on zoning a larger area at Magnor for new commercial use. Following Vestre's investment decision in 2020, the municipality acquired the plot for The Plus and provided the necessary infrastructure. Vestre pays market-rate ground rent for this, generating net income for the municipality over time.

The municipality also upgraded roads, water and sewage infrastructure in the area, and purchased land to secure public access to a hiking and recreation area next to the commercial site. Vestre has committed at least NOK 5–10 million to develop public amenities here, including a Hans Børli poetry trail, furniture, lighting, art installations, a children's playground, car parking and electric vehicle chargers. Much of this is already in place, with further investments planned for the coming years.

Vestre has also contributed to improvements at Kroksjøen waterworks, including isolation wells, in line with approvals from the Food Safety Authority and County Governor.

The factory building completed in 2022:
• In week 7 2022, the installation team moved from the Vestre Steel Factory to The Plus Assembly.
• On 17 March 2022, a protocol was signed and the handing over of the keys celebrated with a The Plus cake from Ingelsrud konditori.
• On 3 June 2022, the opening of The Plus was officially celebrated with an event that was open to the public. Test production was conducted at Wood Factory and Color Factory , and the machinery park was declared operational.

Key figures for The Plus and an overview of all the parties involved:

Construction owner:
The Plus AS (the Vestre Group)
Architect/LARC/structural engineer:
BIG Bjarke Ingels Group ApS
Project, design and construction management:
Fokus Rådgivning AS
Floor space:
7,000 m2
Workforce:
38 (September 2022), dimensioned for up to 70 full-time equivalents)
Budget:
approx. 350 MNOK
Vestres AS investment of equity:
NOK 90 million. Added costs for building in an environmentally friendly manner in order to obtain BREEAM-NOR Outstanding certification: NOK 60 million.

Financing:
Danske Bank, Eksfin (GIEK)
Building economics:
Bygganalyse AS (early phase)
Main contractor
Ø.M. Fjeld AS
Groundworks:
Melby Maskin AS
Mass timber and glulam:
Woodcon AS with subcontractors Moelven Limtre AS and Stora Enso AB
Electrical engineering:
Minel AS

Consultants to the developer:

Consulting engineer for electrical engineering:
Foyn Consult AS
Consulting engineer for HVAC and sanitation:
Multiconsult
ITB coordinator:
Evotek

Building economics (early phase):
Bygganalyse
Consulting engineer for acoustics:
Brekke & Strand
Consulting engineer for HVAC and sanitation developer:
Erichsen & Horgen AS (Consulting engineer for energy and daylight)

Consultants:

Consulting engineer for construction:
BIG Engineering
Consulting engineer for construction (local follow-up):
Bollinger + Grohmann
Consulting engineer for construction, timber:
Woodcon AS
Consulting engineer for electrical engineering:
Ing. Hallås, sub-adviser for Minel Elinstallasjon
Consulting engineer for HVAC and sanitation, plumbing; Consulting engineer for building physics:
Norconsult
Consulting engineer for HVAC and sanitation, ventilation:
Loe VVS Prosjekt, sub-adviser for Energima Prosjekt AS

Consulting engineer for water, waste water, storm water and roads:
COWI
Consulting engineer for fire safety:
Fokus Rådgivning
Consulting engineer for geotechnics; Consulting engineer for external environment, Consulting engineer for energy and daylight:
Multiconsult
Consulting engineer for ecology:
Asplan Viak
BREEAM AP:
Nordic Office of Architecture
Building physics
Norconsult AS

Supplier Industry 4.0 machinery and equipment:

Wood Factory supplier and installation: Weinig Vertrieb Und Service Gmbh & Co. Kg, A Falkenberg Eftf AS and Dagsland Miljø AS

Color Factory supplier and installation: Greiff Industrimiljö AB, Lakteknik ApS, Nordson Deutschland GmbH and RobNor AS

Subcontractors to ØM Fjeld AS:

Groundworks:
Melby Maskin
Green roof, landscape gardener:
MatTak
Load-bearing system glulam and solid wood:
Woodcon AS
Glass façades:
Reflex Slovenia
Plumbing and sprinkler systems:
YC Rør, designed everything by Norconsult

Ventilation:
Energima Prosjekt, designed by Loe VVS Prosjektering AS
Electrical engineering, telecoms and data:
Minel Elinstallasjon, designed by Ing. Hallås AS
Solar panels:
Solcellespesialisten
Lifts and lifting tables:
TKS Heiser

Subcontractors and suppliers (alphabetical):

A. Aulie	Lydgulvsystemer
Activ Nord	Mapei
Aktiv IT	Marbre Eiendom
Anleggsdata	Moelven Limtre
Artea	Mylift & Borud Stillas
Betong Øst	NCO
Bo Andrén	Nordic Railing
Brannslokkesystemer	Noredson
Byggcompaniet Hedmark	Norsk Forankring AS
Byggimpuls	Norsk Pumpeservice
Certego	Olimb Anlegg
Creo Nordic Prosjekt	Pb Bygg og Montasje
Dagsland Miljø AS	R3 Entreprenør
Dalux	Reflex Norge
Ekwood OU	RobNor AS
EMV Construction	Romerike Armering
Evensen Rør	Sauter Norge
EvoTek	Scanwater
Falkenberg	Skaaret Landskap
Gibtech	Solli Gulvstøp
Henriksen Snekkeri	Sprinklerpartner
Hunton	Stillkom
Hydro	T Myhrvold
Icopaltak	VD Vindu og Dørmontasje
Innlandet Glass & Fasade	Velux Commercial Bramo
ISS Facility Services	Veggmontasje
Iwmac	VLK Nordic
JM Construction	VVS Planlegging
K. Bull	Wiegand (Factory Slide)

Interior:

Interior design:
Anderssen & Voll
Suppliers
De Vorm
Fora Form
Glomma Industrier AS

Horreds
Vestre AS
Vitra

Forest Camp's supporters:

Loan of art installations:
Hydro og Nobels Fredssenter

The Plus creates numerous profitable jobs in Norway