At Bröderna Larssons in Åmsele, they insist that it was better in the past. In fact, they have gone back to the industry standard of the 1950s. This is also why customers stand in line to order from the carpentry shop at the edge of the Vindelälven river.
Behind the long-standing carpentry are Janne and Britta Stormare, who in 2014 took over from the founders when they retired. The new owners kept the name and gained a lot of competence in experienced employees. The rest they had to learn themselves.
- Yes, what were we really thinking? Neither of us had a carpentry background, but it still occurred to us that we would own a carpentry shop, says Janne and laughs.
- It was a bigger change than we could actually imagine. We were a subcontractor to IKEA's component manufacturing in Lycksele and had 12 employees and were on our way up to three shifts when IKEA suddenly decided to stop component manufacturing from a bunch of carpentry shops in Västerbotten, including us, he says.
A large and steady customer since 1990 suddenly no longer existed. There was a handbrake instead of full throttle in production.
Fortunately, it turned out that one of the Larsson brothers, Lage, was "semi-bored" as a pensioner and wanted to fill part of the time with carpentry work. With Lage back on board, Janne and Britta made the decision to invest fully in window production and focus on the building maintenance industry.
- Unfortunately, our old customers had found other channels so there were some tough years between 2017-2019, but now the ruljangsen has started really well, he says.
Statistics from the window industry and the big dragons that work against house manufacturing show a decrease of 22 percent in the last year.
- We, on the other hand, have increased by 10 percent and have good jobs, but we certainly notice a waiting market. We still believe that we are in the right industry. The building maintenance industry has generally done well, if you don't buy new, you renovate instead, he says.
- Our customers often own old houses and when renovating or expanding, they want the same type of windows. Another type of customer is those with houses where the original windows have been replaced. Then you have found old photographs of your house and want to recreate the look with the original window's proportions and slats. It's not unusual, says Britta.
Anyone who thought that the owners just sit in the office thought wrong. Britta can often be found in production, preferably in painting, and when she sits in the office it is finance on the work schedule.
Janne's main tasks are writing quotations, glazing, puttying and wrapping windows.
Generally, an order takes between six and eight weeks to produce before they are sent to the customer, who is usually located in Mälardalen in areas such as Bromma, Lidingö and Saltsjöbaden.
Janne has found architects and builders who have the right clientele and in this way the orders come in.
- You have to be crass, how many people renovate their houses for 2 million in Sorsele or Övertorneå - there is another market down there where you know you will get back the invested pennies. If you put in windows for SEK 100,000 in Spånga, you will get the money back, he says.
Quality, care and love are watchwords that characterize the products that come out of the joinery in Åmsele. Nimble fingers and experienced fists make the windows, which Janne and Britta expect will last at least 100 years.
- Our customers buy windows that will last for both children and grandchildren if they wish. If you understand that way of thinking, you are prepared to pay a little more in the purchase price. We ourselves live in a house with windows that are 100 years old and they will last just as long with regular maintenance. It is sustainability that surpasses everything else and that is where we want to take the window industry. Anyone who wants plastic windows from Poland can look elsewhere, he says.
Therefore, the selection starts already in the forest. They collaborate with people who know what quality the fur should be.
- Until 1960, it was good wood for wooden windows, but after that it got worse. At that time, the industry standard was at least six annual rings per centimeter, that is densely grown pine. So we have gone back to the wood quality of that time, which was valid until 1960. That is our main niche, says Janne.
Planks of 50×125 mm are delivered to the carpentry shop, and Robin or Mikael are in the first place to inspect and sort. The plank is then split and cut down to the right dimensions to fit the products.
- We can't buy from the usual construction trade, we have higher requirements than that. The pine should be dried to 10–12 percent moisture content, be straight and have little twigs, explains Janne.
Why is it so important?
- A window is very exposed to the weather from wind, rain and snow. Then you need pines that have been allowed to grow in the right place and built dense annual rings.
Janne and Britta are actively looking for collaborations with other wood industry companies in the county. They think that the good cooperative tone is both unique and important.
Thanks to Träbransch Norr, they have made contact with a number of other carpentry, which has led to collaborations and expanded business. An example is WJ Snickerier in Kvarnåsen, which is now a subcontractor to Bröderna Larssons.
- There are seven of us at the carpentry shop and if we hadn't had good collaborations, we wouldn't have had so many employees. We participate in most skills development courses and recurring meetings via Träbransch norr, and that is how you meet other member companies. You have coffee and start talking to each other, and then you often find forms of cooperation. The timber industry in the North has an important role and even more small business owners should join the community. We all have much more to gain from cooperating up here, it means that we could take on more and bigger jobs, says Janne.