It started with a pile of building materials – and became a very special business

There was no grand plan to build a recycling-focused company when Martin and Henrik Friis’ parents founded Dem fra Nordlunde in 1967.

It began as a demolition company, but reuse truly became part of the company’s DNA when a very special demolition job came along.

- Back in the 1970s, our father was offered the job of demolishing Vordingborg Trælasthandel. It covered many thousands of square metres: the entire hardware business, timber yard, builders’ merchant and sawmill had to be removed. In the end, my father actually paid to demolish it. Other contractors told us we were idiots for doing it. But there was nothing but value there. All the buildings had roofing sheets that we took down and reused, says Henrik Friis, who today owns and runs the company with his brother Martin.

From cheap new materials to sought-after old ones

In the 1990s and 2000s, cheap new building materials flowed into Denmark from countries such as China. Interest in used materials consequently declined. When a new door cost roughly the same as a second-hand one, it was difficult to persuade customers to choose the old one, Henrik Friis explains.

But reuse never disappeared completely. Today, one of the company’s key strengths is precisely the link between demolition, reuse and its timber business. When a building is demolished, the job is not simply about removing it. The company also looks at what can be salvaged.

- We get paid to take the door out, then we bring it back here, put it in stock and sell it again. So we are paid for removing it, and at the same time we create a win-win situation in terms of sustainability while also earning money from selling the door, says demolition manager Kenneth Rasmussen.

Today, interest in used building materials is once again strong. Customers travel considerable distances to find old windows, doors, bricks and, not least, timber. Materials once regarded as old and uninteresting have become highly sought after.

- Right now, we have a large project in Nakskov. There is some solid, strong timber there that is in incredibly high demand. I have customers calling from Jutland and customers driving over from Sweden. I had one customer who made the trip from Odense three times to collect materials for his daughter in Sweden, says Henrik Friis.

For customers, it is not only about price. Old materials often have a quality, patina and history that are difficult to find in new products. In fact, demand has become so strong that the company is struggling to bring materials in as quickly as they are being sold, he adds.

Does not want to grow at any cost

There is no doubt that Dem fra Nordlunde stands out, both because of its focus on reuse and its somewhat unusual name.

- In the old days, people would ask: “Who demolished that house?” And the answer would be: “It was those people from Karleby.” That is how we got the name. But when we moved to Nordlunde in 1980, we obviously could not keep calling ourselves Dem fra Karleby, says Henrik Friis with a smile.

The name also reflects the company’s close ties to the local community. Dem fra Nordlunde supports, among others, NFC, TSØ and NFH, and for Henrik Friis it is about being an active part of the community.

- Being part of the local community is an important part of our business – going to the matches and being part of a network of sponsors where we build new relationships.

Since the early days, the workforce has grown from 15 to around 40 employees, and the projects have become larger. But growth is not a goal in itself. Dem fra Nordlunde also turns down work if it cannot be done properly. There must be room for quality – and for being able to sleep well at night.

Perhaps that is exactly what defines the company. Because although much has changed, the basic idea remains the same: seeing the value in what is already there.