Bankruptcy, Ski | The homebuilder Boligpartner went bankrupt – had an office in Ski

(Hamar Arbeiderblad): It’s over for Boligpartner. CEO of BP Gruppen Norge AS Eskild Wedvik reports this in a press release.

– This is a difficult day for all Boligpartners. We have fought hard and have turned over every stone. The aim has always been to save a large workplace and a strong brand that has been built up over 30 years, says the press release.

BoligPartner AS has also had an office in the center of Ski. According to Proff.no, there is only one person who was employed in the department in Ski – who has now lost his job.

Wedvik answers the phone from HA at 16.45. He then says that he has nothing more to post beyond what is in the press release, but he briefly answers the question about how he experiences the situation after informing the employees in a meeting this afternoon.

– It is very heavy. It is one of the worst things imaginable.

– How many of your employees are affected by the tender?

– There are 126, but we will get back to this more on a later occasion. We refer to what is in the press release now, says Wedvik kindly to HA.

Not succeeding

Over the past few days, Hamar Arbeiderblad has written about the precarious situation of Boligpartner.

HA has sources who say that they have worked hard to find a solution that would save the company, but they did not come up with a solution that was seen as sustainable.

The board of BP Gruppen Norge AS has therefore decided to announce a tender.

And on Tuesday afternoon, the employees were informed about this.

– Our thoughts go out to everyone involved. We especially think of all our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers and partners who have stood by our side for many years. Together we have fought, and had great faith in finding a solution for the company. Unfortunately, we have not succeeded, says Wedvik in the press release.

The press release states that 13,642 new housing units have been started in the past year, a drop of over 50 per cent from the past two years.

– Even with increased capital, extensive cost cuts, downsizing and restructuring, we at BoligPartner have not been able to adapt to this sharp fall in the new housing market, the press release states.

It is emphasized in the press release that all independent dealers are not covered by the bankruptcy and continue their operations.

Little to say

At 16.30 HA spoke with marketing director Geir Thomassen. He confirmed that the employees had just been informed about the situation. He also said that the atmosphere was as one could imagine in such a situation.

– I have nothing more to say than that right now. You can imagine what this is like for people here. We will rather come back with more comments in due course, says Thomassen to HA.

HA’s dispatchers outside the building at Boligpartner could tell of gloomy faces from those who left the building. Most had probably left when HA arrived at the building on Tjuvholmen, but those who then went out to their cars bore the mark of the message that had been given.

None of the people we met wanted to say anything about what they had heard.

Problems

HA wrote last week about a letter that went out to Boligpartner’s suppliers and partners that all the company’s construction sites are immediately closed for deliveries and production.

Even then, Wedvik announced that the board and management would work in the coming weeks to find a solution for the company. This has therefore not been successful.

He points out that a very demanding new housing market has over time led to missing and delayed completions and start-ups.

Eskild Wedvik took over as managing director of BoligPartner AS when Mari Skjærstad chose to resign from her position in September 2023.