PIPES OF PERFECTION Pipelife, one of the world’s leading suppliers of plastic pipe systems and plastic fittings, is enjoying a period of growth. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Pipelife Norway’s export manager Trygve Blomster to find out more.
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stablished in 1989 and with its global headquarters in Vienna, Pipelife is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of plastic pipe systems and fittings. Employing nearly 2700 people across its 27 sites in 27 countries, Pipelife is an international group of companies that is fully owned by Wienerberger from Austria, the world’s largest brick producer, which itself is listed on the Vienna stock exchange. Although Pipelife is not a listed company, its results are shown through its owner, with its turnover in 2011 reported as more than €800 million. Pipelife’s activities in Norway actually reach back more than 50 years, with the plastic
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pipe production company that is now part of the group playing a leading role in Norway under a different ownership. Today, Pipelife is the largest producer and supplier of pipe systems in plastic across the Nordic region, and its products are synonymous with quality, performance and innovation. Pipelife Norway’s export manager Mr Trygve Blomster told Industry Europe more about how the Norwegian activities fit into the group structure as a whole. He said, “Norway is one of the countries where Pipelife has two production facilities, both of which are strategically located to be able to deliver the best possible quality and service to our customers. Owing to our excel-
lent location on the shore line of a sheltered fjord, our PE pipes can be manufactured straight into the sea as we are right on the shoreline, which gives us incredible benefits in terms of logistics and production practicalities. In fact, on our website there is a video and a presentation showing the delivery of a huge pipe from our facilities, and this perfectly highlights how we use our location to its best advantage.”
All types of pipes A key supplier of innovative products for plumbing, water, gas energy and power distribution, telecoms and industrial sectors, Pipelife manufactures pipes for both above and below