Transforming Southern Norway oak into quality interiors

‘It all started when we looked out of our office windows, surrounded by deciduous woodland, and thought: Why are we buying materials from abroad when we have so much quality timber right here?’ says Janne R. Werdal, Sales and Marketing Manager at Hamran.

Since it was founded in 1930, the joinery workshop in Snartemo, in Hægebostad municipality in Agder, has been known for its quality craftsmanship. Today, it mainly produces bespoke kitchens and interiors, as well as workbenches.

Keen to use more locally sourced timber, the long-established company began exploring the possibilities in 2018. This proved more challenging than they had expected.

‘We discovered that most of the timber harvested is sent to Europe for heating. There was also no system for sorting out the materials suitable for furniture production.’

This meant they had to build new value chains from scratch. They received valuable support from another success story from Southern Norway: Restaurant Under in Lindesnes. When the restaurant – whose concept centres on using local ingredients – began planning its interior, the team quickly embraced the idea of using local oak. This led to the development of the Under collection in collaboration with Snøhetta. We also provided funding to support the collection’s development.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

'Being able to test it in the market and receive such a positive response was very important to us. It gave us the confidence to keep investing,' says the Head of Sales and Marketing.

We have been a trusted partner to the company for many years.

‘It is a mark of quality when they see our potential and are willing to back us, while also offering advice and challenging us. That may be particularly important for small businesses like ours,’ says Werdal.

Hamran is now seeing strong demand from quality-conscious customers in Norway and abroad, who can visit them at both their joinery workshop in Snartemo and their studio in Skøyen. Many want to use Norwegian oak for timeless interiors that can last for generations.

Their initiative has also led to the establishment of a local sawmill with four employees. Hamran's workforce has grown too, and now numbers 45. They are currently working to incorporate even more local wood species into their products.

Using the whole tree is another key priority for the company.

‘We have made a conscious effort to show the market that knots are charming and beautiful. In the past, knots were cut out, which created a great deal of waste. It is rewarding for us as producers to help guide customers towards more sustainable, conscious choices.’