During a busy week in March of 2020, Norway went into lockdown due to Corona, rap bumik went bankrupt and a new rap bumik was created on the remains. Kurt Kristofferson has had it all going as director of the company he joined just weeks ago.
– The pandemic did not make it easy to start over. It took months before I was able to welcome all the staff, Christofferson says.
In December 2021, they sold the division in Kapp near Gjøvik. For the group, this meant a reduction in turnover of 50 million and 40 fewer employees. At the beginning of 2022, Rap Bomic had 61 employees and a turnover of NOK 91 million.
– We wanted to focus on what we were best at – high-tech security products.
2022 is tough
With Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine, they lost a large shipment to a Russian agent. Meanwhile, steel prices jumped by 60 percent, but contracts already signed still had to be fulfilled.
– 2022 was a difficult year, but we achieved sales of NOK 125 million. Last year was even better with sales reaching NOK 143 million and our operating profit reaching NOK 8.1 million, just below budget. It should be noted that an accident with our laser machine cost us approximately 1 million kroner in 2023, says Kristoffersen and continues:
– In the last two years, we have grown our sales by 50 percent, and so far in 2024, we have received orders worth 177 million. At the same time last year, the number of applications reached 47 million.
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– Security is where we grow the most. We have taken many measures to reach the forefront in Europe. And I feel we succeeded in that. A French watch manufacturer in New York has received a clear message from its French insurance company seeking EU approval for its 25 doors. Then they had to come to us here in Boria. The delivery value was just under four million kroner, and the doors are now being installed in New York.
artificial intelligence
In recent years, they have invested NOK 20 million in development and certification. As a supplier to the defense sector and oil and gas industry, they have stringent requirements that they must meet. That's why they are now developing what they believe is the smartest door in the world. Supported by Innovation Norway and in collaboration with Equinor.
System engineer Torje Coldevin has a master's degree in artificial intelligence. The monitors on his desk are connected to soldering irons, plastic boxes and computer cards. The starting point is a sensor for tracking sheep, but it is also good at communicating. The goal is an IoT sensor that ensures that the door itself will notify if it needs maintenance or supervision.
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– Every movement on the door should be measured and anything out of the ordinary reported. It's also a lot about programming and artificial intelligence. It must have the highest EX certification, so it must be explosion-proof, Coldvin says, and he believes the final product will also be able to be used in many other fields. The Aasta Hansteen platform will serve as a pilot project for the sensor during the fall.
The Internet of Things is a system in which devices and their components are connected to the Internet to make devices smarter and more useful.
Building a new factory
A Swedish subcontractor will deliver the final sensor boxes, but otherwise everything will happen in Burøya. Kristofferson points out that they will remain in Boria.
-We are preparing to start construction of our new factory and office building of 3,500 square meters. We hope to have it ready by next fall.
-Why don't you look towards Langstranda and the new city?
-We don't have time to wait. We have offers of more than NOK 400 million. Realistically, we will get about half. We are now investing NOK 60 million in new buildings and NOK 30 million in new production equipment. Including many robots. So far we have purchased three, and have already put our welding robot to use.
There will be more
Today there are 83 employees. Within two years, their number should be more than 100 people.
– Like many others, we are also looking for professionals, but I believe that working with robots and artificial intelligence will make us more attractive as employers. We are contacted by former employees who see a lot of exciting things happening with us. Some of them will return, the director says, and he feels that future prospects are relatively bright:
– The truth is that the geopolitical situation in the world means that the market is with us. Safety is on the agenda and we supply not just doors but the full range of windows, gates, grilles and wall panels. We are quite unique, but more competitors will likely come. We have to chase every day, but compared to 2020, we are in a good position.
Today, Rap Bomic is owned by brothers Christian Arne, Roger Adolfsen, Ben Edsen, and even Carlsen, with 24 percent each. Kurt Kristoffersen and Chairman Ragnvald Rasmus Sunde are also on the ownership side
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