Companies have high demands to meet in today’s construction industry. Technological development and increasing demands pose significant challenges to construction companies, but for some they can also quicken success. In a harsh business environment, success favours those who are not afraid of innovation and development. For over 40 years, the Oulu-based Paupek has been a pioneer in the Finnish construction engineering sector. Throughout almost their entire history, the company has relied on the expertise of Normet Group’s Marakon.

Paupek began its operations in 1980 as a diamond drilling and sawing specialist, focusing chiefly on the industrial sector. Before long, the need for material removal and demolition services became evident at the company’s work sites. Over several decades of renovating paper mills, excavating groundworks and demolishing machine foundations, the operating environment has grown increasingly challenging, and the demands placed on machinery have grown higher as well.

The demand for demolition work has increased in particular. The field requires maximising precision and minimising outside disturbances. Over the years, new features in machinery have allowed companies to meet and adopt changing needs and methods, says Paupek CEO Pekka Piirala.

Piirala views recycling and the demands of sustainable development as the most significant changes in industry practices. These days, sorting takes place at the work site, and emissions are monitored and controlled carefully. New information about the harmful effects of dust and emissions, among other things, have spurred innovation.

The value now placed on protecting the environment and personnel has been an important and positive change. The machinery itself must not produce too many emissions, and pressurised cabins and filters protect their operators. The EU’s directives regulate the industry’s operations strictly – but not as strictly as we sometimes do at Paupek, Piirala says.

Modern machinery plays a key role in developing competitiveness

Paupek prioritises always staying at the forefront of development and innovating itself to keep ahead of the changing times. This is why for decades Paupek has relied on Marakon, and the Normet Group company has been Piirala’s choice for a modern but approachable partner.

The world may keep changing, but at Paupek, we want to take care of business as well as we always have. Keeping our machinery up to date plays an important role in this, which is why we replace our equipment every few years. Normet’s products fit our newest requirements, and we’ve found them good to use, Piirala says.

Paupek’s latest acquisition is a powerful XB56 hydraulic breaker from Normet’s Xrock range of products, which sees plenty of use at the demolition site of an old fire station. Past experience made a Normet Xrock breaker the natural choice, and the model was chosen on the Marakon’s recommendation. Piirala has good things to say about the sales process and commissioning of the new breaker.

Everything has gone smoothly. It’s an important piece of equipment, and it sees plenty of use. We made our choice based on the size class and capacity of the breaker, and the vendor recommended this particular model to us. Commissioning the breaker was easy, and we also received support from the vendor throughout the process, Piirala says.

People matter the most

When machinery is in heavy use, it requires active maintenance and upkeep in order to function optimally. The durability of Normet’s products is enhanced by features such as automatic greasing devices and improved housing and sealing. In addition to this, the correct pressure and amount of fuel can be fine-tuned for optimal performance. When the operating hours run long, the importance of maintenance and spare parts services cannot be underestimated. When maintenance is needed, the help must come in time.

Effective communication with customers is one of Normet’s and Marakon’s strong points. We’ve always received outstanding support from their maintenance and spare parts services. I can’t stress this enough, since for us it is crucial to not have machinery stand idle, Piirala says.

But while modern and functional equipment pay a key role in his company’s operations, Piirala regards Marakon’s approachable way of doing business – in addition to their maintenance services – as their partner’s most important feature. The decades may have passed by, but while the competition in the industry has become tougher and the way of doing business has developed, both Normet and Marakon continues to see their customers as individuals, and they are always ready to help.

In our industry, people like to vote with their feet, and if things aren’t working out, we can and will switch to another service provider. No matter how good your products are, it’s the smoothness of cooperation that matters the most. At both Normet and Marakon, the people are what makes them stand out from the competition. All clients are treated equally, regardless of the size of their business, Piirala says.