Konkurs etter 64 år: Åtte ansatte mister jobben

I the previous week, a bankruptcy procedure commenced in Mr. Pukk Øst AS, located in Folke and Nordre Østfold Court, according to a notification in Brønnøysundregistrene. The company itself had filed for the procedure. The situation has also been reported by Smaalenes Avis and Anlegg.no. Mr. Pukk Øst has operated a pukk factory in Torperåsen, Mysen, and Torkelsrud, Askim.

Established in 1962, the company had eight employees. Gunhild Resen-Fellie, a resident, is overseeing the company's debts and assets, confirming that all eight employees will be laid off. "Eight employees will be laid off," Resen-Fellie told E24. According to the court's certificate, Mr. Pukk Øst leaves behind a residual debt of approximately 60 million kroner, tied to an asphalt plant in Torperåsen.

The debt includes a loan from Sparebank 1, a 30.6 million kroner supplier debt, and a debt to the parent company Mr. Pukk Eiendom AS, around 18.6 million kroner; however, the total size of the debt remains unclear. "It is stated that the value of the assets is definitely lower than the company's debt, and lower than the value stated in the current situation," the certificate reads.

The asphalt plant was completed in 2023 but has remained unused for three years due to a lack of building permits from the municipality, as reported by Smaalenes Avis. In September, the Indre Østfold city council finally rejected the operation due to the belief that the asphalt plant was illegally established, according to NRK. Mr. Pukk Øst's accounts show revenue growth in recent years.

From a level of 16-17 million kroner in 2020-2022, the company's operating income rose to 28.4 million kroner in 2024, the latest publicly available accounting year, according to proff.no. High operating costs, write-offs, and increased interest rates contributed to an 8.8 million kroner pre-tax loss in 2024. The company's equity was over 5.3 million kroner at the end of the year, as reported.

The company is not currently holding liquid assets to meet ongoing obligations, according to the certificate. Mr. Pukk Øst is owned by Mr. Pukk Eiendom AS, which in turn belongs to Heffalompen Holding AS. At the back of Heffalompen and a series of Mr. Pukk companies stands founder Lasse Jørgensen. Recently mentioned by E24, dughter company JK Entreprenørservice AS, previously Mr. Pukk AS and JK Maskin, was also declared bankrupt in August.

Heffalompen had a post-tax loss of -115.5 million kroner in 2024, with equity standing at a mere 59 million kroner at the end of the year, according to proff.no. As E24 has broadly reported, there have been several bankruptcies in the construction and engineering sectors over the past few years. The underlying cause is rising interest rates and increased costs, which have contributed to near-bankruptcy in demand, and harsh competition resulting in thin margins for the assignments available.

The downturn has occurred in large parts of the country, with Rogaland and Vestland counties representing partial exceptions. Just before the weekend, residential developer M2 Tomteutvikling in Stavanger also fell into financial trouble due to lower market activity.