IKAS boss Rolf Jacobsen from the ‘Paris of the North’ has worked in the insulation industry for fifty years and has never been tired of going to work. We asked him about the secret of a long and healthy life and about the two new hospitals in Narvik and Hammerfest that they are now finalising.
An average of four hours of sick leave over the past fifty years
Rolf Jacobsen, Managing Director of Isolasjonskompaniet IKAS, was 17 years old when he started working for the company he now heads. He had a technical college degree. At the time, there was no such thing as a technical certificate in insulation.
After a few years as an insulator, he became a project manager. Since taking over ownership in 1997, he has been a self-proclaimed full-time ‘office rat’ with an average of only four hours of sick leave a year for the past fifty years.
- What's the secret, we ask, and Rolf laughs:
- ‘I don't know. I haven't been exercising and running with my tongue out. I've lived a perfectly normal life and even smoked for fifty years.
In those five decades, he doesn't think that much has changed in terms of craftsmanship and materials, but he has noticed the digitalisation of the last ten years.
- ‘I still order by phone, and I like hearing Nils and Håvard on the other end,’ admits Rolf, who has yet to test out the webshop.
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Specialises in HVAC insulation of commercial buildings
IKAS has 12 employees and had a turnover of NOK 15.9 million in 2022. They are based with a workshop at Håndverkervegen 12 in Tromsø. Here they sew, among other things, insulation cushions from cloths they order from ISOPARTNER.
With a catchment area stretching from Narvik in the south to Kirkenes a hundred kilometres further north, they cover Nordland, Troms and Finnmark counties. The company has built up a good reputation, especially in commercial buildings, where they take responsibility for insulating HVAC systems.
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Hospital projects in Hammerfest and Narvik
In recent years, they have focused on two brand new hospitals in Hammerfest and Narvik, with a price tag of NOK 2.3 and 2.7 billion respectively.
- ‘We're finishing up in Hammerfest now, and in Narvik we'll be finished in the autumn. Here we are responsible for all pipe insulation for the plumber,’ says Rolf, who explains that a lot of Paroc pipe bowls and Armaflex AF cellular rubber have been used.
In mid-June, they will start a major job for Rieber Oil in Kristiansund, which will last until 2024. A new Omega 3 factory is to be built there, where IKAS will provide stainless steel insulation and cladding.
- ‘I'll have six to eight people there. Three of them will be my own bases, while the rest I'll have to hire in,’ says Rolf.
The only Norwegian in the company
IKAS is a fairly international company, with Rolf as the only Norwegian, four Finns working with cladding, and the rest of the team coming from Romania and Slovakia.
- ‘I only have foreign labour, because there is little growth of Norwegians in the industry. But it works brilliantly, and I have nothing but good experience with it,’ says Rolf.
He has fairly stable people on his team, some of whom have worked for 20 years, 10 years or 4-5 years.
- ‘Everyone has established routines and knows what to do at the facilities,’ says Rolf.
Communication is no problem either. There's English, some Swedish and three of the Slovaks have learnt Norwegian and speak it fluently.
Have been customers of ISOPARTNER for over 10 years
IKAS has been a total customer of ISOPARTNER for over 10 years:
- ‘We buy everything from them, they have most everything. They're hardly ever without products either, and we get goods delivered up here twice a week, which is plenty,’ says Rolf.
Rolf also uses ISOPARTNER as a sparring partner for technical support:
- ‘They're a great help when we need to calculate insulation thicknesses, specify projects and attach documentation such as HSE data sheets and so on.
When asked if he intends to retire in the near future, he is quite clear:
- ‘If I get a good price, I'll sell. But I like to have something to go to. I've never retired if I had a stuffy nose or a headache. I'd rather take a shower and go to work,’ concludes the Tromsø resident.
Congratulations on 50 years in the industry, Rolf!
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