With a name change and a new strategic direction, MK Entreprise has taken a big step towards its ambition to be able to follow construction projects from start to finish. But the journey from a specialized craft business to a broad-based construction company has required thorough consideration, good partners for sparring, and the courage to take risks.
2026 has been a year of major changes for the company that until recently was known as SK Stillads og Murer ApS. Today it is called MK Entreprise ApS, employs 29 people and has ambitions to play a much larger role in construction on Bornholm.
“It has been quite a journey,” says Mathias Karlsen, as we meet him for a talk about the decisions that have brought the company to where it stands today.
In the spring, he took over his former partner’s share of ownership, and at the end of the summer he followed up by acquiring one of the island’s well-known carpentry companies. At the same time, the majority of the scaffolding activities were sold, and the company received its new name. But behind the many changes lies an ambition that has been in the works for a long time.
– I have had a dream for a long time about being able to deliver a complete project. Previously, we have often been a partner and subcontractor for other companies, but now we can handle the entire project ourselves, says Mathias.
With bricklayers, carpenters and roofers, as well as expertise in concrete and construction work and an authorization to work with asbestos, MK Entreprise is now ready to undertake far more extensive tasks than in the past.
For a long time I have dreamed of being able to deliver a complete project. In the past we have often been a partner and subcontractor for other companies, but now we can take on the entire project.
Training from day one
When Mathias, as a 20-year-old, helped start SK Stillads and Murer ApS almost ten years ago, both his experience and network were limited. Therefore, sparring and access to other business owners have played an important role for him over the years. When we meet, Mathias is just back from an event held by Business Center Bornholm and Erhvervshus Hovedstaden.
– I’ve used BCB almost from day one. When I started, I didn’t have a particularly large network, and having someone to talk to meant a lot. It was actually more or less decisive for it succeeding at the time, he says.
Since then, he has continuously used coaching, networking, events, and development programs. Also in connection with the latest major decisions, it has been important to have good sparring partners to discuss his thoughts with. For although the ambitions have been clear, the path to realizing them has required thorough consideration.
A well-considered leap
The acquisition of the carpentry company Bygmestrene Lars Orbe & Jim Dideriksen ApS required a significant financial investment, and both opportunities and risks had to be thoroughly examined before the decision was made.
– We are still a relatively young company, so it’s not because there’s a huge fortune ready for new investments. There have been many thorough discussions with the bank, the accountant, and the lawyer. And not least with myself, he says.
The crucial question was how much risk the company could bear.
– We have really calculated how much headwinds we can tolerate and how little wind we need before it becomes a good business. Of course, there is always a fear of failure.
The decision to sell the scaffolding division also required consideration. This was where the company had its roots, and several of the scaffolding workers had been involved almost from the beginning. But with the ambition to take on larger projects themselves, it became necessary to separate the scaffolding division in order to avoid conflicts of interest with the companies with which it had previously collaborated.
Today, the majority of the scaffolding activities are taken over by the former partner’s company, Bornholms Stilladsservice, with which MK Entreprise continues to cooperate.
– It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to employees who had been with us for so many years. But it was the right decision, says Mathias with a touch of sadness in his voice.
New opportunities are opening up
Although it has only been a short time since the acquisition, the results are already starting to show. Inquiries are coming in, and several of the tasks have exactly the size and nature the company has wanted to move towards.
– We have already received several major orders in the million-dollar range, where we are allowed to do what we want: build something decent for people who want good craftsmanship.
This can range from new commercial buildings to major renovations and additions to private homes and summer houses. Common to the tasks is the opportunity to bring together several disciplines and take responsibility for the project from start to finish.
At the same time, the acquisition has brought new colleagues and experiences into the company. And although it involves two companies with their own histories, the merger, according to Mathias, was natural.
– We come from two different companies, but we fundamentally have the same approach to work and to each other.
The ambitions don't stop here
At MK Entreprise, the focus is already on the future. Mathias makes no secret of the fact that he has ambitions to further develop the company, perhaps even with another acquisition. But right now, it is first and foremost about getting the new organization up and running properly, creating stable operations, and building on the foundation laid. Because even though the company has grown, it is not the size itself that drives the development.
– It’s about doing a good job for good people together with good people. That has actually always been the driving force for me.
And with this approach, Mathias Karlsen builds on his ambitions to create a company where quality, integrity and work satisfaction go hand in hand.
AF LINA HILDING