Major Multi-Million Investment:Truss Manufacturer Expands Production Facilities and Seeks New Employees

Denmark’s largest truss manufacturer, Palsgaard Spær, is experiencing increased demand on Zealand and the surrounding islands. As a result, the company is making a major multi-million investment in its Slagelse facility. The investment includes a new semi-automatic press, which will expand production capacity by 50 percent and consolidate the company’s East Denmark operations into a single location. This expansion also creates a significant need to increase staffing for the company’s night shift.

Expanding Facilities to Meet Demand

Six years ago, Palsgaard Spær opened a Zealand division in response to growing demand for roof trusses, roof modules, wall frames, and prefabricated wooden houses. Since then, additional locations have been established in Zealand, but with this major investment, Palsgaard Spær is now consolidating its Zealand production facilities and workforce in Slagelse, while also creating space for new colleagues.

“The expansion of our Slagelse division is partly about optimizing our existing space, allowing us to install a new semi-automatic press that will increase productivity by up to 30 percent. The press assembles outer frames for trusses and applies connector plates. Previously, this was done manually, but by automating these processes, we reduce strain on workers’ backs and shoulders,” explains Jan H. H. Rasmussen, Production Manager at Palsgaard Spær’s Slagelse division.

“We have also demolished walls and expanded the saw hall, redesigning workstations to accommodate employees from our other East Denmark locations. Overall, this investment in production facilities aims to increase our capacity by at least 50 percent, allowing us to better serve our customers in Zealand and the islands.”

Hiring for the Night Shift

The next step for the wood construction company is a major recruitment process, which has now begun. Jan H. H. Rasmussen hopes to attract 12-15 new employees for the night shift.

“It has become increasingly difficult to attract workers in recent years, and we clearly feel the impact on the number of job applicants. There is often talk about a future shortage of skilled labor, but in our industry, the shortage of unskilled workers is just as critical,” explains Jan H. H. Rasmussen.

“This may be because some people think they lack the necessary qualifications to work in a production hall. But we have employees from all backgrounds—from church vergers to carpenters—working in our production teams. New employees are assigned an experienced colleague during the training period, so potential candidates shouldn’t hesitate to apply for a job with us or others in the industry, as long as they have a practical mindset and willingness to learn.”