Established Bratsberg – to give the town new life
Petter Øygarden established Bratsberg with a view to giving a run-down urban area new life. He returned to his hometown of Porsgrunn after many years abroad. Here, he met some friends from the property business, and they all believed that it was possible for such areas to be given a whole new look. Together, they launched their first plans to transform a derelict area of Porsgrunn into something completely different.
By 2004, Bratsberg had begun its first development project. Bratsberg Brygge and ØYA has now become Porsgrunn’s new restaurant-hotspot and urban residential area. Companies and people were quick to move in to the café, shop and office premises, along with the 190 apartments built along the river.
The name Bratsberg derives from Bratsberg Bruk, which was the first building the entrepreneurs rehabilitated, turning it into modern business premises. Bratsberg’s head office is still located here.
Driving force
Today, Bratsberg is at the forefront of urban property development in the region of Grenland, and a market leader in business property. The company strengthened its strategic interest in business property from 2017, with further purchases of properties associated with trade and commerce, logistics and industry. Bratsberg Næringseiendom is a company which develops, lets and manages business properties.
Being a driving force, being responsible and open, still permeates the people at Bratsberg. These initial founding values have been essential for the realisation of extensive urban development projects, which involve many differing viewpoints and ideas.
Bratsberg has built up several new areas in disused industrial and run-down urban parts of Porsgrunn and Skien- new areas that have become engines for the growth of town centres and businesses.
Common goals – creating new opportunities
From the beginning, Bratsberg’s vision was grounded in a strong common interest between local communities and clients.
Our vision is to help facilitate growth in local communities and businesses.
– Together with our partners and public authorities, we are totally committed in our commom goals to creating new opportunities for local communities and businesses. We support everyone who wishes to be part of this, particularly those who offer different viewpoints to our own. It is them we learn most from.
Petter Øygarden, MD / CEO, Bratsberg.