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Trust, safety, and shared goals drive the reinvention of Hällekis | Paroc Article
Paroc
Didier Vercruyssen, OC Paroc Project Manager, Andreas Magnusson, Project Manager PEAB, Stefan Kristersson, Construction Manager PEAB, Lukasz Wala, OC Paroc EU Project & Construction Manager, Blazej Budziszewski, OC Paroc Electricity & Automation Manager

Trust, safety, and shared goals drive the reinvention of Hällekis

Written By Paroc•Date Published 2025-12-15

Exceptional projects require exceptional partnerships. This is certainly true of our ambitious Reinventing Hällekis project, where our stone wool plant in Hällekis, Sweden, is transforming its melting process from coke-fired furnaces to state-of-the-art electric melting technology.

That’s why Owens Corning Paroc joined forces with Peab, one of the leading construction companies in the Nordics. Peab serves as the main contractor for the Reinventing Hällekis project, responsible for building a 7,500-square-metre facility consisting of two new buildings.

Trust, safety and an uncompromising commitment to schedule have been the cornerstones of a collaboration that truly shapes the future.

The Paroc and Peab partners are seen from behind on site.
The construction site is seen from a drone perspective, with a large crane from Peab in the center.

Everything starts with trust

The collaboration began long before the first foundation pits were dug in the spring of 2024. Owens Corning Paroc and Peab entered into a partnership agreement that differs significantly from the traditional customer–contractor model.

“Our partnership model with Peab ensures we’re working toward the same goal, finishing on time. I really appreciate their engagement in the Hällekis reinvention. They’re flexible and positive, fully engaged in making the changes and proactive in finding solutions. There’s no competition — we’re true partners in driving this change,” says Lukasz Wala, OC Paroc’s EU Project & Construction Manager.

The key to this partnership lies in exactly that — the absence of trickery or doubt. In a single word: transparency.

A quote from Lukasz Wala, OC Paroc, saying "There's no competition - we're true partners in driving this change."

“The common goal makes daily work easy: Peab supports our efforts, understands what we need to do and why, and is always quick and ready to tackle challenges together,” says Błażej Budziszewski, OC Paroc’s Electricity & Automation Manager.

One of the biggest advantages of the partnership model is that both parties have been working closely together from the very beginning, shared their expertise and developed a building that perfectly integrates all the process parts of the new electric-melting line.

“The collaboration has been smooth and very positive. I think we share many values with OC Paroc, like treating everyone equally, no matter their role. We’re down-to-earth people who are kind to others,” says Peab’s Project manager Andreas Magnusson, and continues:

“What surprises me most is how quickly problems can be solved when you have such close cooperation. We have a short meeting, address the issues, make the fixes, and it’s done. I’ve never been in a project where things get resolved this fast.”

One reason for this close connection is that key people from OC Paroc and Peab don’t just talk daily – they see each other in person every day.

“At Hällekis, we all sit together – we’re upstairs and they’re downstairs. In the morning meeting, we go through safety issues, review activities, brainstorm challenges, and find solutions together. It’s unusual – normally the customer and contractor are in separate locations, but here we work side by side all the time,” says Lukasz Wala.

From left: Didier Vercruyssen, OC Paroc Project Manager, Andreas Magnusson, Project Manager Peab, Blazej Budziszewski, OC Paroc Electricity & Automation Manager, Stefan Kristersson, Construction Manager Peab and Lukasz Wala, OC Paroc EU Project & Construction Manager.
From left: Didier Vercruyssen, OC Paroc Project Manager, Andreas Magnusson, Project Manager Peab, Blazej Budziszewski, OC Paroc Electricity & Automation Manager, Stefan Kristersson, Construction Manager Peab and Lukasz Wala, OC Paroc EU Project & Construction Manager. 

Safety is a cornerstone

Eliminating injuries is one of Owens Corning’s main goals. Safety is also a fundamental part of this collaboration – and it’s easy to see on site that this is more than just words. By the end of October 2025, the site had gone 444 days without a single accident.

“Attention to safety here has been exceptional. This is a high-risk project with buildings up to 40 and 33 meters tall, but safety is a value we both share – and you can see that on site every single day,” says Construction Manager Stefan Kristersson from Peab.

A quote from Stefan Kristersson, Peab, saying "Safety is a value we both share - and you can see that on site every single day."

“In our morning meetings, we plan everything in detail – who’s working where and what risks to watch out for. We assess risks before every step and take precautions. Safety is always the top priority; every morning meeting starts with safety first, no matter the day,” adds Błażej Budziszewski.

At many construction sites, there is a designated safety manager for whom safety is only one part of the job. But at Hällekis, things have been taken one step further: the site has a dedicated safety manager who works full-time on safety.

“I could never accept someone getting hurt because of what we’re building. At the end of the day, we want everyone to go home to their families and loved ones – not to a hospital. Accidents can be prevented when safety is taken seriously,” says Didier Vercruyssen, OC Paroc’s Project Manager.

The partners Paroc and Peab is walking down the stairs of a building on site.

Sustainability is not only the end goal

By switching to electric melting, the Hällekis facility is expected to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80%, marking a major step toward Owens Corning’s long-term sustainability goals.

As we build with the future in mind, it’s only natural that environmental considerations are also integrated into the construction itself. A great example is the concrete selected for use throughout the project – ECO-Concrete by Swerock. In ECO-Concrete, part of the cement is replaced with by-products from the steel industry, which lowers CO₂ emissions and improves the material’s durability.

Blazej Budziszewski, OC Paroc, Lukasz Wala OC Paroc, Didier Vercruyssen, OC Paroc and Stefan Kristersson, Peab.

“It’s very important for Peab as a company to be involved in projects like this that drive change for the future — it’s also something I think about for my kids and grandkids,” says Peab’s Stefan Kristersson.

Sustainability is reflected in the details, too. The site cabins feature an energy-efficient heating system, lighting is equipped with sensors, and deliveries are optimized to arrive fully loaded. Even the bedrock excavated for the new buildings has been reused for a rainwater management project at the site – reducing the need for new materials and transportation.

“When designing the new process line, we’ve also selected energy-efficient motors and frequency converters, and designed the line to operate as efficiently as possible,” says Błażej Budziszewski.

The construction site is seen from a drone perspective.
The entire Hällekis plant can be seen from a drone perspective.

Commitment to schedule never falters

To help OC Paroc’s customers build with lower emissions, the project has followed an ambitious timeline from the very beginning: the new electric melting lines are planned to be commissioned in early 2027. Staying on schedule has been one of the clearest signs of the collaboration’s success.

“The timely startup of Phase 1 was fantastic. We were able to start the line on schedule – a great achievement for all of us, and something we were very proud of,” says Błażej Budziszewski.

“We’re now entering a more complex phase – installing large equipment before the building is fully complete. It requires careful coordination and a strong focus on safety. With more people coming on site, I’m counting on everyone’s flexibility to make it happen,” adds Didier Vercruyssen.

The shared goal and sense of teamwork are visible on site in many ways. One striking example is how construction was organized into two shifts when the schedule demanded it.

“When I leave the site at five in the afternoon and return the next morning at seven, it feels like a completely different site. The double shifts have helped us shorten the project by three months,” says Peab’s Stefan Kristersson.

“Our cooperation is truly built on trust. We know we can ask difficult questions and get honest answers — even when they’re not exactly what we’d like to hear. That’s why I’m confident we’ll have the reinvented Hällekis plant up and running at the beginning of 2027,” concludes Didier Vercruyssen.

Warning: This video contains flashing images that could trigger seizures for people with photo sensitivity.

Reinventing HällekisTo help you build with lower emissions

We are converting our manufacturing facility in Hällekis to a state-of-the-art electric melting process. This marks a major step towards our sustainability goals, but also long-term benefits for you as a customer!

Follow our journey here
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