News

The good, the bad and the future

2020 has been a year we are grateful for, despite the pandemic. Or maybe we are even more thankful just because of it. We want to take you through our past year, with all its ups and downs because there’s something to be learned from it all.

Magnor on the world map as a tourist destination for culture and sustainability

The next generation furniture factory is coming to Magnor. When The Plus opens in 2021, we will be able to deliver more, and faster, in an environmentally friendly and efficient way unlike anything that has gone before. The factory, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, propels Vestre leaps and bounds into the future. A rising tide lifts every boat, and the local area is coming along for the ride. Magnor is being put on the world map.

Darren Saines has elevated this rehabilitation centre’s garden from odd shrubs and a table tennis table to a colourful oasis for tranquillity and pleasant conversation

In 2016, CatoSenteret got the garden it had been dreaming of, with beautiful plants, lighting and furniture from Vestre. It has become not only an outside space for great conversation, a place to withdraw to and find peace, but also a valuable addition to indoor treatment. One of Norway's best-known garden designers, Darren Saines, is the brains behind the project. In this article, you can read about the ideas and visions behind the inclusive and colourful outside space.

We need a plan for mainland industry – as soon as possible

Vestre is creating green jobs with space for everyone, and through The Plus, we are now set to create even more

The primary purpose of Vestre is not simply to produce furniture. We create caring meeting places, where people can come together across social, cultural and financial divides. In this way, we help to make the world a slightly better place; in this way, we create meaningful jobs.

How the UN's Sustainable Development Goals could determine the quality of life for centuries to come

The way we are living on Earth has sent it into decline. In less than a lifetime, we have radically remade the planet. And amid the current coronavirus pandemic, many wonder when we will be able to return to 'normal.' As it turns out, nothing could be worse than returning to normality.

The world´s first bench made from ownerless marine plastic

How to compete globally from Scandinavia

An essential reason for building The Plus is to prove that it is possible to compete globally from Scandinavia. Manufacturing in high-cost countries means we must work smarter and more efficiently than our competitors. But it is possible, and Vestre aims to prove it.

Construction of the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory has started

On Friday, 25 September, we started building the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory. Named The Plus, the factory is located in the town Magnor, in eastern Norway, and will be the largest single investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades. The Plus has been designed by the world-famous firm of architects BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, and will serve as a global showcase for outstanding architecture and high-efficiency industrial production.

Democratic meeting places: How sharing stories can bring us closer together

The International Day of Democracy is a yearly opportunity to review democracy in our country, cities and neighborhoods. International days such as this are occasions to address global problems and to celebrate achievements.

How do you build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory?

In June we launched our plans for building the hypermodern factory; The Plus. But The Plus is so much more than that. We actually have five goals for the project, you might call it our manifesto: The first goal being that we will build the most environmentally furniture factory in the world.

The city of the future and World Population Day

Our population is growing, and along with it, urbanization is picking up pace. 70% of us are estimated to live in cities by 2050. In 1989, the UN made the 11th of July a day for the billions of us living here. World Population Day is an opportunity to pause, a day to consider our direction, responsibilities, and actions. It is a day to rethink, redesign, and redefine our future. What would a future with inclusive communities in sustainable cities on a healthy planet look like?

Vestre plans to build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory in Norway

Vestre is proud to present its latest project, The Plus. We plan to build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory at Magnor in Norway. This is the largest single investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades. The factory, which has been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the world-famous Danish firm of architects, will be a global showcase for sustainable and highly efficient production.

Our Vision Zero: Furniture with ever-lasting life. Even for discontinued models.

Vestre has a Vision Zero. According to this vision, we will not produce a single product which cannot last for ever. This is also how we are fighting the throwaway society, one piece of furniture at a time. Through good design, critical material selection, advanced surface treatment and a little maintenance every now and again, ever-lasting furniture is in fact very much an achievable aim. We also supply spare parts without any time limits – if we do not have them in stock, we will make them for you.

Edible and easy-care planter favourites for landscape gardeners

Summer is here and many people are asking us about planters. We have consulted Sigurd Boasson from Svein Boasson AS to help you choose plants which people will appreciate and are easy to grow. Sigurd is a landscape gardener specialising in using planters to create attractive outdoor spaces.

To us it’s still business as usual

So much is changing but some things stay the same, at Vestre our business and our mission remain focused on bringing people together with care. Let us give you a quick update on what we’re still doing.

Vestre’s three proposals to the government for getting the economy back up to speed after Covid-19

In May, Norway’s Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner and Minister of Trade and Industry Iselin Nybø invited ten business leaders to a meeting to get their ideas on the Norwegian economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Vestre’s CEO Jan Christian Vestre was among those invited. He presented three specific proposals that could quickly stimulate demand, increase investment in mainland Norway and boost exports. Norway is not the only country to experience major economic challenges as a result of the pandemic, so Vestre’s proposals are also relevant for other countries’ governments. The proposals are presented below.

Smart City Bins

For far too long bins have been emptied without even being half-filled, costing both you and the planet more resources than necessary. Norrsidans and Vestre have now done something about this. We are launching a thoroughly tested, user friendly system that can be pre-installed with your new Vestre bin or even implemented into existing ones, saving you both time and money.

Earth Day – every day

Earth Day happens every year on April 22 and this year for the 50th time. Earth Day is a way to shed light on the biggest challenge to the future of humanity – climate change. We are going to use this Earth Day to tell you some of what we do to meet our climate crisis, while at the same time emphasizing that it is ours. It is everyone’s, and it requires a shared responsibility and a joint effort – and not just a days’ effort, a lifetime one.

From marine plastic waste to high-end products

Vestre wrote earlier about the project “From Beach to Boardroom”, which has also received support from the Norwegian Retailer’s Environment Fund. We can now follow up the story with some great news. The project has become a fully-fledged company called “Ogoori”. Ogoori will work to clean up a half-century of plastic waste floating in the ocean.

"Best stand" at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020

At this years’ Stockholm Furniture Fair, Vestre won the honorable award for Best Stand for our sustainable stand design. The exhibition, which was designed by Note Design Studio, reflected our commitment to sustainability, and all materials in the stand were carefully selected for the ease of recycling or reuse.

This year's new products

At the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020 we will be presenting this year's new products. There will be some completely new series, and some additions to series that have been seen before. What they all have in common is that through their attractive design they will help to make sustainable, sociable meeting places for users round the world.

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020

We are super excited for the upcoming Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020. Vestre will be there 4-8th of February at hall A06, stand 13. Come by for a look at some of our new products, a copy of our 2020 catalogue and a cup of coffee. See you there!

Vestre featured in Forbes

In a great piece by Forbes on the art of sustainable development and how to use it as a competitive advantage, they use Vestre as a case study: «Vestre are leading the industry with their positive example in rethinking their approach to business.» We proudly encourage everyone with an interest in the field of sustainability to read the article below.

BIM and climate change

Leading carbon reduction with BIM

We will make materials and products from ownerless marine plastic

Furniture manufacturers Ope and Vestre are joining with SINTEF in research and development of materials and products from ownerless marine plastic waste.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Team Vestre, headed by Jan Christian Vestre, has been nominated as the Norwegian Entrepreneur of the Year in the world’s greatest contest for promoters of growth.

Vestre launches new website

Vestre has launched a new and improved website, designed to simplify your working day as a landscape architect, landscape gardener, contractor, etc. The new website includes BIM, multiple download formats and 3D models that let you see the desired product in the given timber and colour. The website was designed by Snøhetta, the renowned architect firm, in collaboration with Værsågod and Bimbear.

From beach to boardroom

With increasing producer responsibility, less plastic is going astray. Ope, IVAR and Vestre have jointly established the project From beach to boardroom as a tangible measure on the part of the business community to address the challenges associated with plastic in nature.

“Peace bench” as a symbol of diplomacy and dialogue to be unveiled at UN headquarters

Following a commission to design a “tool for dialogue,” design firm Snøhetta, aluminum supplier Hydro and Vestre have joined forces to create a “peace bench” for the Nobel Peace Center, titled The Best Weapon. To be unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Nelson Mandela Day, July 18th.

No future for companies that do not take responsibility for their surroundings

The pilot project “The Maintenance Team” has emerged as a direct result of the collaboration with the Church City Mission. The project is a further development of the Church City Mission's work-offer for people without access to ordinary working life.