Lundqvist Trävaru: “When the market is shaky, we face it with innovation and drive”

During the pandemic, an enormously high demand for building materials was created in almost all categories. Among the largest were construction timber, planks, decking and facade timber. Such a large construction and renovation boom among private individuals has perhaps never been seen before. For Lundqvist Trävaru AB in Piteå, this led to an all-time high in sales in several product categories.

Before anyone had time to recover from the pandemic, war was declared followed by great unrest in the outside world. Material and energy prices continued to rise, interest and housing costs also rose, eventually affecting the construction industry. The construction boom that was seen during the pandemic has now subsided, and in many places a large scale-down is noticeable.

“For many building materials, including timber, prices have now started to decrease. This could in fact lead to more construction projects starting and demand soon returning to something similar to normal or at least what we as suppliers of building materials are used to and can adapt to”, says Jens Lundqvist, President of Lundqvist Trävaru AB.

Several major investments in 2023

At Lundqvist Trävaru, several major investments are to be carried out during the first half of this year.

One of the biggest investments covers the entire organisation and all functions within it. Everything must be supported and further developed with the help of a brand new digital platform that took several years to develop.

“It feels extremely exciting to finally be able to launch our digitisation project. It will be in the form of a completely new digital platform, which is the next generation of the system we launched back in 2014. Just like its predecessor, the system has been developed entirely according to our needs and our functions, and also includes a 3D platform that we are looking forward to showcase during the year”, says Jens Lundqvist.

Launches turnkey buildings

A further investment includes the launch of a wider offer which, in addition to building materials, also includes turnkey wooden buildings. It is now being launched in parts of the country and initially primarily in northern Sweden.

“Offering turnkey buildings represents a huge investment for us and our response to market demand. When the market is shaky, we meet it with innovation and drive. We are equipping our organisation for the future but constantly evaluating the market”, Jens underlines.

After the initial launch of turnkey houses in the northernmost part of the country, the ambition is to further develop the concept for a large launch across Sweden.

Acting long-term for the future

Lundqvist Trävaru is a long-term and stable company with good finances. The company way is very customer-oriented with a recognised high level of service, according to Jens Lundqvist. In conclusion, he summarises the future vision:

“For us, it is extremely important that we can continue to create value even during a recession. Everything we are investing in now makes us an even stronger supplier when things turn around. And that they will turn around is something that we know because we have witnessed many ups and downs over the years. We choose to be aggressive in how we deal with the impending recession and continue to make investments as planned. This is part of our strategy where we constantly strive to be a reliable and affordable partner that aims to simplify the building industry.