We love being local!
My name is Tommy Veittikoski, and I own and operate Brukshotellet Skinnsberg. I live locally in Skinnskatteberg and I grew up here and left after high school. Since then, I´ve worked in various industries, in small and large companies, and I've also lived abroad for an extended period. It feels like the circle is complete since I moved back to the same street in the metropolis of Skinnskatteberg where I lived over 30 years ago! You might wonder what this has to do with local sustainability? For me, the journey I've made is crucial for the choices I make now. I've brought valuable experiences from working globally to realizing a local business idea of taking Brukshotellet back to its roots, retelling the history of the hotel and the local industry creating a destination in collaboration with local partners. We've come a long way, and the work to develop Brukshotellet never ends!
We offer affordable accommodation to workers and businesses, tourists and we also welcome four-legged guests to our dog hotel, Annexet. Our aim is to create a home-away-from-home feeling.
We use LOCAL SUPPLIERS as much as possible, creating a "ripple effect" in the local economy. Examples of local supplier partners include ICA Berghallen, Omtanken second hand, Bertil elektriker, Janssons El, RC Rör VVS, Bergslagens Produkttjänst, Skinnskattebergs Plåtslageri, Strids Däck & Transport and others. In nearby Fagersta, we support the local Jysk store, and we have a collaboration with restaurant Charlie, which runs Brukshotellet's kitchen.
We have LOCAL COLLABORATION PARTNERS such as Heddans Hundcenter, Lerkulans Vallcenter, Wild Sweden and we have several new collaboration partners in the pipeline.
We create local job opportunities and have LOCALLY EMPLOYED STAFF and we can therefore give guests good tips about local attractions.
We aim to MINIMIZE OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT by offering:
More ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HEATING ( heating from the local sawmill) and RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY. About 100 windows have been newly renovated and insulated, and lamps have been replaced with LED. Furthermore, we have installed heat exchangers, and our continuous energy-saving projects, including collaborations with Energikontoret in Mälardalen and Almi, have led to ENERGY SAVINGS of about 30%.
We offer GREEN TRANSPORTATION by reducing car travel through subcontractors and customers of local industry staying locally in Skinnskatteberg instead of nearby towns + we use local subcontractors who minimize car travel + close proximity to the train/bus station, which provides a good alternative to cars. We also offer bicycle rentals to minimize car travel.
Maximize RECYCLING through several sorting stations at the hotel for both guests and staff.
At breakfast, we offer locally produced eggs and honey when available, and THE RESTAURANT PREPARES FOOD FROM SCRATCH, minimizing pre-prepared products. Breakfast waste is minimized through more frequent and smaller purchases from the local grocery store.
We further MINIMIZE THE FOOTPRINT on the local environment by not changing sheets/towels during shorter stays.
We use, as far as possible, furniture and interior design made of wood, partly because wood is renewable and partly because Skinnskatteberg is a historical wood industry location. We buy a lot of furniture and interior design locally and contribute to Brukshotellet's interior design idea to RECYCLE AND REPAIR rather than buy new.
Close collaborations with local entrepreneurs and organizations are an important component of Brukshotellet's strategy and development, while we have a global presence through our availability on Hotels.com, Expedia.com, Booking.com and we are searchable worldwide via Google.
The journey never ends and we continue to develop our local sustainability strategy!