Surprised by sponsor interest

A separate company was established to coordinate and carry out the building project. Best-Hall, which was known to be a reliable constructor of these types of venues, was contacted at a very early stage.

“We had heard good things about Best-Hall’s projects and wanted a solid partner for this investment that was extremely important to us. They had a wealth of knowledge of similar projects, which was obviously very helpful along the way”, Vikström recalls.

The construction grant received from the ELY Centre required the company to build a venue with a fixed structure. Best-Hall’s streel-structure building with a cover of PVC fabric was a perfect match. Sports venues intended for public use also require special design and FISE-certified expertise, which all Best-Hall engineers have.

The last concerns related to the investment evaporated when the company witnessed the enthusiastic involvement of the local community.

“We ultimately needed a loan to cover only one-third of the costs. The rest we accumulated from share capital, sponsorships and subsidies. The positive interest far exceeded all of our expectations,” Rasmus Vikström, one of the driving forces of the project, says happily.

The bright and spacious venue garners praise

The first practice session at the venue, which was dubbed Esse Elektro-Kraft Arena, was held in September 2017. The building was, in fact, already standing in the spring, a mere few months from the order confirmation following the municipal building permit issued in December.

“Winter is perfect for constructing a venue for the next indoor training season. Cold temperatures and snow are no hindrance to building activities, and due to our less hectic schedule, the necessary advance planning can be handled swiftly”, says Managing Director Leif Fagernäs, who represented Best-Hall in the project. 

In contrast to the original designs, the company established to develop the venue decided to opt for a double-layer cover to improve thermal insulation – by proposal of the designer.

“The solution is excellent, since the white roof significantly improved the lighting conditions and comfort inside the venue. Thanks to the interior cladding, it has been very easy to attach sponsorship ads to the walls, which is very important to us”, Rasmus Vikström says appreciatively.

Based on the first winter, the development company has been very pleased with the venue, which has been praised by locals.

“We have seen a genuine football boom in the area, and there has been plenty of demand for practice hours. Alongside football, schoolchildren also use the venue for Finnish baseball and pensioner groups use it for Pétanque. The 30 x 60 metre pitch is also well suited for badminton and volleyball, for example. In fact, we intend to develop our operations to serve a more diverse variety of sports and provide more year-round services”, Rasmus says with regard to the company’s future visions.

In hindsight, the drivers of the project have only one concern:

“Had we known how well everything was going to go, we would have ordered a slightly wider venue that would have fit a larger pitch suitable for eight-on-eight football for juniors”, Rasmus Vikström says in summary.