CEO of Troldtekt receives The Building Component Award
01.11.2017
Peer Leth, CEO of Troldtekt A/S, the company that manufactures acoustic ceiling panels, was honored on Wednesday evening with The Building Component Award 2017 for his commitment and perseverance.
A functional and elegant refinement of Danish raw materials, a product that contributes to a healthier indoor climate, a strong sustainability profile and a forward-looking CEO. These were some of the qualities that were highlighted when CEO Peer Leth of Troldtekt received VILLUM FONDEN and VELUX FONDEN's Building Component Award 2017 at an award ceremony at VILLUM Window Collection on November 1, 2017.
From wood and cement into architectural design solutions
With its origin in Jutland, Troldtekt acoustic panels are some of the oldest building components in Denmark. For more than 80 years, Troldtekt has developed, produced and sold acoustic panels made of Danish spruce and cement. Over the last 12 years, product, range and company have been through a unique development spearheaded by Peer Leth.
From being a simple building component used in stables and industrial buildings, Troldtekt's acoustic panels today offer both acoustic, functional and flexible assembly solutions as well as ventilation and lighting systems in schools, institutions, open-plan offices, community centres, sports centres, private homes, etc. In addition, the acoustic panels have a very elegant architectural look.
"Troldtekt's acoustic panels are exemplary for how a relatively simple building component with few applications has been advanced so that the panels today combine aesthetics with functionality and can be used in many forms of construction," says chair of the award committee Bjarne Graabæk Thomsen.
Peer Leth has a degree in business and has been in the construction industry for 32 years. He began his career at the wholesale company Carl F. Then he joined DT Group (today the STARK Group), which among others include the chains of DIY retailers behind STARK and Silvan.
In 2006, Peer Leth was appointed CEO of Troldtekt A/S.
The CEO showing the sustainable path to growth
Behind successful building components, there are often enthusiastic and tireless people. At Troldtekt, it is Peer Leth, who has established a company with calmness, dedication and persistence, a company where innovation, credibility and social responsibility are core values.
“Peer Leth has managed to show the path by engaging dedicated and skilled employees and suppliers. Combined with “Troldtekt's clear environmental profile and documented work with sustainability, the component creates great value for both the construction partners and the users,” says Bjarne Graabæk Thomsen.
Peer Leth is delighted that he and Troldtekt now receive the Building Component Award:
"It is an immense recognition of both the product, our company, our approach and not least our skilled employees. It is only through their daily commitment, attention and team spirit that I am here today to receive the Building Component Award.
"Throughout the past three years, we have invested extensively in optimising our production, in line with sustainable principles. In 2018 we will carry out another major investment of approx. DKK 170 million which will increase our capacity significantly to be able to keep up with the demand. I am proud that our company receives this award and proud of the large appreciation connected to the award,” says Peer Leth.
Photos from the award ceremony
Building components that make a difference
Focusing on building components that make a difference is an important part of the origin of VILLUM FONDEN and VELUX FONDEN. The founder of the foundations, Villum Kann Rasmussen, established his own company in 1941 and worked intensively with building components for the rest of his life. His most famous building component is the VELUX Skylight Window.
About the special aspects of building components and the importance of the building component award, Søren Nielsen, architect MAA and partner at Vandkunsten Architects and member of the Award Committee says:
“The Building Component Award focuses on materials, details and beautiful and durable solutions that are well conceived and well implemented. With the award, we wish to honor the enthusiasts who have It can be a product that may affect many people's everyday lives or a constructional solution that makes the work for the craftsman.
I believe that the award can help to improve the quality of constructions. When focus is on the importance of the individual components, it contributes to an overall experience of quality and it can an inspiration to others.”
Facts
- Troldtekt A/S is a family owned private limited liability company with production in Troldhede, Western Jutland, headquarters in Tranbjerg, Aarhus and sales offices in Hamburg and Malmö. The company was founded in 1855
- Since 1935, the company has produced Troldtekt acoustic panels from Danish natural materials: wood and cement
- The products are designed, developed and manufactured in Denmark under modern and environmentally friendly conditions
- Troldtekt's vision is to be a trendsetter in intelligent acoustics solutions focusing on a sustainable indoor climate
- The company currently employs approx. 90 employees
- Troldtekt's business strategy and product range are planned on circular principles based on Cradle to Cradle. This means, among other things, that the panels are free from harmful substances and can be returned to nature as a compost.
- Troldtekt's production capacity today is the equivalent of the company supplying acoustic ceilings to 25,000 detached houses or 55,000 classrooms a year.
The Building Component Award is granted to individuals or a small group of people who have made a noteworthy contribution to furthering the understanding of the value and significance of building components, including their practical use in daily living. The award is granted every second year and is DKK 100.000.
The founder of the foundations, Villum Kann Rasmussen, established his own company in 1941 and worked intensively with building components for the rest of his life. His most famous building component is the VELUX skylight window.
The award was granted for the first time in 2015 to entrepreneur, architect and designer Claus Dyre for his invention and commercialisation of the Unidrain linear floor drain.
In December 2016, several organisations, architects, users, advisers, producers, distributors, builders and inventors recommended candidates for receive The Building Component Award 2017.
The award committee evaluated the recommended candidates based on a fixed set of criteria.
Award Committee
- Bjarne Graabæk Thomsen, f. Director, Chair of the committee
- Arne Becker, Group Executive Vice President, MT Højgaard
- Ellen Kathrine Hansen, Associate Professor, PhD, Aalborg University Copenhagen
- Kurt Bering Sørensen, CEO of Bering Board
- Ole Bønnelycke, Head of Secretariat, The Danish Building Defects Fund
- Søren Nielsen, architect MAA, partner, Vandkunsten Architects
Further information
- CEO of Troldtekt A/S Peer Leth: 8747 8130 // ple@troldtekt.dk
- Marketing and Communications Manager at Troldtekt A/S Tina Snedker Kristensen: 8747 8124 // tkr@troldtekt.dk
- Coordinator for The Building Component Award Committee Ellen Kathrine Hansen: 2172 3181 // ekh@create.aau.dk
- Communication Adviser for VILLUM FONDEN and VELUX FONDEN Signe Krabek: 2049 6869 // sk@veluxfoundations.dk