“Our staff attachgreat
importance toahighmeasure
of customer orientation.”
TobiasLidén, GeneralManager of FestoSweden
AlfredBernhardNobel
(1833– 1896)
Photos:©shotshop.com; CeciliaLarsson/imagebank.sweden.se (dalahorse)
sectorwasdominant,with famousbrandssuchas IKEA,
Volvo, Ericsson, TetraPakandScania. Since that time,
thecountryhasexperiencedasecondmajor change. The
number of peopleemployed in industryhasdecreased,
while theservicesector hasgrown.With theexception
of electronicsandoptical products,manysegmentsof
industrial productionare indecline. In theareasof
transport, logistics, communicationsand trade, on the
other hand, Sweden is recordingpositivegrowth rates.
Theshift from industry to theservicesector isshown
clearlyby thefigures for grossdomesticproduct.
In2012, servicesaccounted for 45.5per cent,while
industrywas responsible for only13.8per cent.
Even though itsgrowth ratesarenegative, industry
still playsan important role, particularly inmechanical
engineeringandvehicleproduction. Theelectrical and
electronics industryandwoodandpaper arealso
amongSweden's largest industrysegments. Themost
important productsareairplanes, ships, textilesand
clothing, chemical productsand refinedoil, building
timber, paper, cement, furniture, glassandglassware.
The largest industrial production locationsareStock-
holm, GothenburgandMalmö.
50yearsof FestoSweden
Malmö isalso thehomeof FestoSweden. This company
was founded in1964asoneof thefirst sixnational Festo
companies. Thismeans that FestoSwedenwill be
celebrating its50thanniversary thisyear. TheMalmö
locationwas chosenbecauseof itsposition in thesouth
of the countryand thegood links to theglobal flowof
goods. Themost important industriesand customers in
thisarea include the foodandbeverage industry, the
automotive industry, the timber industry, themanufac-
tureofmilkingmachinesand themining industry. Festo
Swedenhasachievedsteadygrowth from the timeof its
foundationuntil thepresent and isnow considered
tobe themarket leader. A closenetworkof salesand
servicestaff providessupport for companieseven in
themost remoteareasof the country. Among themost
important tasksof FestoSweden is topassonknowledge
anddevelopuser-orientedsolutions. System concepts
haveplayedamajor role right from thebeginning,which
hasmeant that thenumber of ready-to-install solutions
supplied to customerswithproduction locations in
Malmöhas risensteadily for years. Thebrand“PreMek”
was createdby Festo in2001 to representmaximum
simplicitywith regard to installation, operationand
maintenance.
Another, completelydifferentmeasureof FestoSweden’s
success is the lengthof timestaff havebeenworking for
the company.Of its75staff, 18havebeenwith the com-
pany formore than25years, and three formore than
40years. Their great experienceand theknowledgeof
manyyounger expertshave formed thebasis for sus-
tainedgrowthandensure that the customersof Festo
Sweden receive thebest possibleservice.
A countryof contrasts
Inhighsummer, thesunnever sets in thepart of Sweden
northof thepolar circle, but thendisappears in thewinter.
9.6millionSwedes live inanenvironment of continual
alternationbetween longbright summer daysandendless
darkwinter nights. It is certainlypossible that this is the
reasonbehind the combinationof hardwork, senseof
dutyand joiedevivre forwhichSwedesarewell-known.
TheSwedishgeography is just as full of contrastsas the
seasons.Only3per cent of Sweden’s450,000squarekilo-
metres,whichmake it Europe’s thirdbiggest countryafter
FranceandSpain, are coveredbyurbanand industrial
areas. Eight per cent isused for agriculture,while forests,
swampsandmeadowsaccount for 69%, lakes9%, and
rocky landscapesandmountains12%–whichprovides
plentyof space for the country’s300,000or soelk.
Sweden’shighestmountain is the“Kebnekaise” (2,103m),
while its largest lake isLakeVänern (5,650squarekilo
metres). 2.1millionSwedes live inandaroundStockholm.
This capital city isknown for itswide rangeof cultural
activitiesand isalso the locationof the residenceof King
Carl XVIGustaf.He is theheadof aconstitutionalmonarchy
but hasnopolitical power.His functionsarepurely repre-
sentative.
1.2014
trends inautomation
Synergies
22
–
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