🇸🇪 Family businesses in Boden invest in the future

November 23, 2023
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En grupp på åtta vuxna står framför en höstlig miljö med kala träd och en traditionell röd träbyggnad. Gruppen ler och är klädd i vardagliga och arbetskläder, vilket antyder en avslappnad och möjligtvis professionell miljö.

Two companies in Boden are making significant investments and building brand new facilities to expand their operations. A contributing factor is the green societal transformation that is spreading a sense of optimism about the future.

Tords Motorservice is an old family business that has operated successfully in Norra Bredåker for several decades. Stefan Sundström, the son, took over the company in 2015 and has been considering the possibility of building new facilities, again in Norra Bredåker.

– We have shown that it is possible to sell snowmobiles from Norra Bredåker and do it really well. But convincing banks that it’s a good idea to build new here has been difficult,” says Stefan Sundström, laughing.

A man is standing inside a showroom with snowmobiles and related equipment. He is wearing a black jacket with yellow accents and a cap with a logo, probably representing the brand of the snowmobiles. The interior is well-lit and suggests a commercial or retail environment.
Stefan Sundström, Tords Motorservice.

In recent years, the company has been at the top of snowmobile sales in Sweden for a specific brand. From 2023, they are working with a new supplier, and the change has given them the impetus to realize their plans, but closer to central Boden.

– Polaris really believes in us and in Boden. Without that support, I would not have felt that this would have been possible. It’s a tougher situation with inflation and higher interest rates, but I’m extremely positive about the future and expect us to double our turnover compared to now.

The facility will have several floors, with the ground floor intended for machines for all seasons, and the upper floor for selling clothing and other equipment.

– The biggest change for us will probably be in retail and impulse buying. There is a completely different market for it when we get closer to the center,” says Stefan Sundström.

Recycled effort

But the premises in Norra BredĂĄker will not be abandoned. The entrepreneur even sees an opportunity to scale up their snowmobile dismantling business. Insurance companies and private individuals bring in crashed and worn-out machines which are deposited, dismantled and sold as spare parts.

– We are constantly looking at how we can contribute to a more sustainable society, especially considering that we sell a product that is largely fueled by gasoline and oil, but which is also on the rise when it comes to electric power as well. It will be exciting to follow the development in Boden and see how our business can become an even bigger part of it,” says Stefan Sundström.

Further along the site, on the other side of what was once an airstrip, another company is expanding – Fällkniven. They have been a leader in the knife industry since 1984 and are known for their hunting and fishing knives.

– For the first time in the company’s 40-year history, in the summer of 2024 we will move into premises that we have designed ourselves. We initially looked at several plots in Boden, but settled on the area around the A8. It is close to the city center and offers customers and visitors easy access and free parking. It is also close to our primary customer – the military,” says Erik Hjortberger, CEO.

A group of eight adults stand in front of an autumnal setting of bare trees and a traditional red wooden building. The group is smiling and dressed in casual and work clothes, suggesting a relaxed and possibly professional environment.
Staff photo from Fällkniven in Boden. Photo: Fällkniven i Boden AB

The property will be 1900 square meters and construction has started. The roof will be covered with modern solar panels that are expected to generate more power than is consumed at times.

– Minimizing our carbon footprint and environmental impact is a priority. The power we do not consume ourselves will be stored or sold to Bodens Energi. For basic heating, we have seven geothermal wells and an advanced energy recovery system. All lighting will be LED and demand-controlled. In addition, the battery pack we are installing will help stabilize the frequency of the electricity grid.

A winter landscape of a construction site with a single-storey building partly covered by scaffolding. Snow covers the ground, and some conifers stand in the background, bathed in the soft light of a setting or rising sun.
Fällkniven’s new premises on the A8 site. Photo Fällkniven i Boden AB.

The companies’ efforts are now further strengthening the commercial area around the old helicopter school. Also nearby is Boden Plug & Play, which can be simply described as a development industry area, where potential societal solutions are tested with the ambition to be used on a larger scale as part of the societal transition. The site is home to data centers and satellite receivers, and a unique 300 square meter greenhouse is experimenting with growing fruit and vegetables all year round, with more ventures in the pipeline.

Exciting synergies

Also nearby is the Bodens Energi Arena and Bodentravet, which continuously hosts various events.

– This is a very exciting area for the future where we can see clear opportunities for synergies between new technology, retail and experiences,” says Thomas Fägerman, CEO of Boden Business Park.

Boden is at the heart of an extremely extremely intensive inward investment region and is an important part of the green global transition. In the next few years, we are taking a 20-year leap in development. H2 Green Steel’s establishment have made us at Boden municipality geared up to create something smart and green that will last for many generations to come.

Do you want to know more about the possibilities of setting up in Boden?

Originally published on 22 November by BodenNXT.

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