Opinion, Business | Well deserved honors for B&G company
Leader This is a leader. The editor expresses the newspaper’s position.
It is appropriate to congratulate Bertelsen & Garpestad’s subsidiary B & G Tunnel AS on being named the winner of the gazelle farm of the year in region West. This year’s gazelle farm is an award as part of Dagens Næringsliv in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet. It is what Dagens Næringsliv calls “gazelle winners” among “gazelle farms” in all of Norway’s counties. The county winners also compete for the award «gazelle operation of the year» or «gazelle of the year». The award was first awarded in 2003.
After a humid evening in Nyhavn in Copenhagen, contractor Sverre Garpestad decided to start his own tunnel company. It is far from the craziest thing he has done, writes Dagens Næringsliv. – Good ideas often come when you have had a little to drink, says «Garpen» to the newspaper. With him on the team he got Ove Rune Varhaug, who is today the day-to-day manager and co-owner of B & G Tunnel. In 2021, the company could show a turnover of 183 million kroner and put another 25 million kroner on the bottom line.
Bertelsen & Garpestad has experienced some good years, and the turnover for 2022 will be around a billion kroner. Right after the summer holidays at the latest, DT told about a new contract in connection with the E18 expansion in Grenland. It has not been officially confirmed, but has a value of just under one billion kroner.
The gazelle farms are Norway’s fastest growing and most successful farms. A gazelle must have at least double the turnover in four years, and make money. In total, this year there are 3,795 companies that satisfy the growth requirements. B & G has developed into a very central player in transport development in large parts of the country, but has also realized that it is no use standing alone. Through hard work, good relations have been established with both Norwegian and international companies, so that together they are strong enough to win giant assignments over large parts of the country.
The construction industry is exposed to business cycles, and right now it is challenges with high prices for, among other things, fuel that pose challenges. General price increases and postponement of projects mean that the tunnel company currently has little to do. We will get government authorities to speed up the allocations again for, among other things, New Roads, so that gigantic road projects which have now been put on hold, can start again.
Later this week, the award will be made farm of the year in Rogaland. Bertelsen & Garpestad is nominated – as one of five. The other nominees are Fjordkjøkken AS, Westcontrol AS, Solvang ASA and Easee AS. Westcontrol also has a subsidiary in Eigersund, Westcontrol Robertson. We are rooting for Bertelsen & Garpestad, and do not in any way ignore the fact that the ever-growing company runs away with an award. In that case, it will be well deserved.
And probably worth taking a small glass for, we know the gang really well!