LP Group expanded its real estate portfolio in Nummela - Expert support from Vihti's building control department made the construction process smoother
LP Group, a specialist metals supplier, is a leading Nordic partner in the contract manufacturing of steel products and components. The company's operations are spread over four sites in the Nordic countries, the largest of which is located in Nummela, Vihti, Finland, with more than 20,000 m2 of production space tailored to steel processing. However, in recent years, the site had identified a need for a dust-free facility designed for electrical assembly, which led to the decision to build a new production facility on the site.
The construction project for the new office space started in spring 2024. In the early stages of the process, there were also some potential delays, but with good cooperation with Vihti building control, these challenges were overcome and resolved. Next up, LP Group's CEO Kari Timgren sheds light on the progress of the construction project and his experiences of cooperation with the municipality of Vihti.
Solution-oriented cooperation as a pathfinder
In the early stages of the project, LP Group contacted the Vihti Municipality's building control department, which provided expert advice and clear steps to move the building project forward. This was followed by the building permit application process, which was also found to be very convenient thanks to the modern digital approach.
However, the building permit process took an unexpected turn. The area planned for the new premises was classified as agricultural land, which required the company to apply for a zoning change. However, as the zoning change was a more complex and time-consuming process, the municipality offered LP Group a flexible solution: a temporary building permit would be issued quickly, which would be converted into a formal building permit once the zoning change was completed. This agile cooperation enabled the construction project to get off to a smooth start.
Municipal support towards a successful outcome
In the early stages of the construction project, another challenge was solved: the new building planned for the site was adjacent to the municipal water and sewage network, which had to be moved to the new location before construction could begin. Decisions on these were taken by the local water company, so the relocation work could not proceed until the plans had been approved.
However, this issue was also successfully resolved in good cooperation with the municipality. The building inspectorate speeded up the decision-making process on the water utility side, and a quick decision was reached on the new pipeline route.
Once the piping relocation was completed, the construction project moved smoothly to the finish line. The official zoning change also proved to be a very straightforward process, becoming law in a swift six-month timeframe. LP Group's new 750 m2 premises were completed on the site by the turn of the year, and production, which requires dust-free conditions, started immediately during the winter of 2025.
Timgren had a very positive overall impression of the cooperation with the municipality. It was easy to contact the building control department and the flow of information was smooth throughout the process. The support and contribution of the municipality was also particularly important, as the construction project was completed almost on schedule, despite some surprises.
"The building control helped us all the way through the process, and I give all the credit to Vihti municipality. They handled things as smoothly as possible, and at every stage they provided us with not only information but also assistance. I really appreciate that the municipality supports local businesses in this way," says Kari Timgren, CEO, LP Group.