The neighbors

"Think Total Time!" is the Company's Motto

Mr. Arttu Seppyanen,
the first vice-president of
Skanska East Europe Oy

        The Skanska trademark is widely known in many countries. It has deservedly become a symbol of professionalism in building. This concern's thousands of clients and partners also include St. Petersburg and other Russian cities. In Russia the Scandinavian builders have proved their company's motto "3T", which stands for "Think Total Time!" This phrase illustrates the company's strategy. The company is a prosperous leader in world building. It is oriented towards the thorough realization of its clients' orders. Skanska's clients from Petersburg and Leningrad region fully agree with this evaluation.
        Mr. Arttu Seppyanen is the first vice-president of Skanska East Europe Oy, a Finnish branch of Skanska. He is also the director of the company's St. Petersburg branch.
        - Please tell us how the concern came to Russia, in particular to its Northern capital?
        - In 1902, 15 years after its foundation, Skanska, a Swedish building company, spread its international activities to St. Petersburg, the then Russia's capital. In Vasilyevsky Island's Kozhevennaya Line Skanska constructed its own plants producing the cement and concrete construction elements that corresponded to the latest scientific and technical achievements and were used, in particular, for the construction of St. Petersburg's water supply lines in Nevsky prospect and for the reconstruction of the Taurida Palace's cupola. The company's other numerous plans were interrupted in 1917 when Skanska had to stop working in the Russian market.
        More than half a century later, in 1976, Skanska returned to the banks of the Neva. In Vasilyevsky Island it built Hotel Pribaltiiskaya which was the largest and most comfortable Petersburg hotel at that time. Skanska also built some other objects in Russia. But it was not until the spring of 1994 that Skanska's Finnish branch came to Petersburg to stay.
        - What objects have lately been built by the company in Petersburg and Russia's Northwest?
        - In Petersburg the company built Skanska House on 8th Sovietskaya Street, the House of Sweden on Malaya Koniushennaya Street, the Gillette plant that produces razor blades, the Rothmans cigarette plant, the operating department of the Chupa-Chups caramel plant, the Zolotaya Kazanskaya Residential and Office Center, and several other buildings. In Leningrad region Skanska built several contractual high-quality objects. These include Buslovskaya railway station on the Finnish border and the Philip Morris cigarette plant. Our company's consulting work and numerous meetings with businesspeople, investors, and customers, prove that our company is popular both in Petersburg and Russia's Northwest. It is not for me to evaluate our company's work; that is for our Russian colleagues to do. However, I think that it is our company's reliability, strict observance of agreed upon time limits, and our staff's professionalism that attracts them. Our company's advanced approach to all problems and its ability to choose experienced and reliable associate contractors able to provide a "3T" level of work, are also points that keep drawing new clients to us.

        Today Skanska is taking part in the creation of the Ice Palace, a prestigious modern sports complex in St. Petersburg's Nevsky district. In March 2000 this Palace will house the world hockey championship.
        As Mr. Seppyanen avoided speaking about his company's participation in this project, we asked Sergey Izotov, director general of the Ice Palace joint stock company, to tell us about Skanska's role in its construction:
        - Early in 1999 Skanska won a tender for our project. Our necessary limitation was that a company may win this tender if during the last five years it has built some large object comparable with the Ice Palace. Our special commission chose this Finnish company out of numerous applicants. This choice was the right one and I am very indebted and grateful to our partners. As a prime contractor, the Finnish company is occupied with organizational, financial, and contractual activities. It has enlisted approximately 14 subcontractors who are carrying out the installation, construction, and finishing operations. This object is unique and so it requires application of special methods and the quality of work that the Finnish professionals know how to provide.
        Sergey Izotov stressed that their common goal was to maintain the highest level of building quality, something that corresponds to the "3T" motto: "Think Total Time!"

Interview by Lev Frolov