Ulstein Concrete Industry: From solid constructions to strategic growth with ScaleUp
Nov 6, 2025
It is not every day that a well-established company with several decades behind it decides to think anew. Yet that is exactly what Ulstein Betongindustri did when they participated in the ScaleUp program with us at ÅKP.
For a company with 70 years of experience in the industry, it was a golden opportunity to gain new perspectives, professional replenishment, and strategic direction for further growth.
From floating concrete structures to growth strategy
Ulstein Betongindustri, headquartered in Haddal outside Ulsteinvik, has for years delivered solid concrete solutions for both land-based and floating structures. Their specialty? Highly durable concrete structures that are used in the salmon farming industry, among others. To keep up with the market and explore new growth opportunities, the company chose to join the ScaleUp program.
— We are world leaders in floating concrete structures for the aquaculture industry, but we also have other companies in the group that we saw potential in developing further. ScaleUp gave us the tools to look at how we could scale these, says Erlend Haugsbø, CEO of Ulstein Betongindustri.
Lessons, networks, and a push out of the comfort zone
The ScaleUp program, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), offers participants a unique opportunity to work with experienced mentors, gain practical insights into strategic growth, and network with other companies. For Ulstein Betongindustri, this was an important experience.
— We gained completely new insights into how other companies have dealt with similar challenges. It is easy to get caught up in daily operations, but taking a step back and analyzing the business with new eyes has been incredibly valuable, says Stig Amdam, Marketing & Sales Manager at the company.
At the same time, they do not hide the fact that it was an intensive program:
— There was a lot of theory, a lot of work, and many intensive days. But being pulled out of the daily routine, discussing strategies, and being challenged by the mentors was exactly what we needed.
An investment in the future
Although it is still early to measure the concrete effect of the participation, they are confident that ScaleUp has been a valuable investment.
— We may not have doubled our revenue overnight, but what we have gained is professional knowledge, new thoughts on growth strategies, and not least a valuable relationship with other companies and mentors. We definitely recommend the program to others, they say.
With this, Ulstein Betongindustri takes the next step with new perspectives and valuable insights into the further development of the company.
Would you like to know more about the ScaleUp program and how it can help your company?
Concrete will become carbon negative when cement production, including that of Heidelberg, becomes emissions-free by 2030.
Ulstein Betongindustri, with its headquarters in Haddal outside Ulsteinvik, has been delivering solid concrete solutions for years, both for land-based and floating constructions. Their specialty? Highly durable concrete structures that are used, among other things, in the salmon industry.
Learning, networking, and a push out of the comfort zone
The ScaleUp program, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), provides participants with a unique opportunity to work with experienced mentors, gain practical insights into strategic growth, and network with other companies. For Ulstein Betongindustri, this was an important experience.
— We gained completely new insights into how other companies have handled similar challenges. It is easy to get caught up in daily operations, but taking a step back and analyzing the company with new eyes has been incredibly valuable, says Stig Amdam, Marketing & Sales Manager at the company.
At the same time, they do not hide the fact that it was an intensive program:
— There was a lot of theory, a lot of work, and many intensive days. But being pulled out of the daily routine, discussing strategies, and being challenged by the mentors was exactly what we needed.
An investment in the future
Although it is still early to measure the concrete effects of participation, they are confident that ScaleUp has been a valuable investment.
— We may not have doubled our revenue overnight, but what we are left with is professional development, new ideas about growth strategy, and above all, a valuable relationship with other companies and mentors. We definitely recommend the program to others, they say.
With this, Ulstein Betongindustri takes the next step with new perspectives and valuable insights into the further development of the company.
Would you like to learn more about the ScaleUp program and how it can help your business?
