Edvardssons in Bredbyn AB is as stable as its best-selling chairs. With the business's three legs, packaging, event floors and furniture for the public environment, the company has a unique position in the market. Durable quality products in wood and zero waste provide a sustainable production that is appreciated by customers.
– Wood is a wonderful material, both to work with and to have around, says Ann Strandberg, CEO of Edvardssons. And it smells so good! Everyone who comes to our carpentry says so.
Edvardssons' facility in Bredbyn outside Örnsköldsvik.
The carpentry factory in Bredbyn is located outside Örnsköldsvik and has 14 employees. The family business manufactures specially built packaging in plywood for both really heavy things, such as motors, and really long, such as insulators. They offer unique modular solutions for floor covers for events and their own furniture series for the public environment is much appreciated. Short lead times, tailor-made solutions, flexible systems and durable chairs with a long warranty have given the company a unique position in the market. All products are made of wood, a renewable material that customers demand. But the road ahead has not been straight.
– Edvardssons was founded in 1947, then as a sawmill, says Ann. In the seventies, we started manufacturing packaging for the industry. One customer accounted for a large part of the turnover, which made us very vulnerable. We wanted to develop our own product where we could control more.
Edvardssons manufactures really large packaging for heavy things.
When a request came to build a temporary floor in the large ice rink, the company found the development opportunity they were looking for. The same plywood that the transport boxes were built from could be used for flexible arena floors. The Crescendo System series saw the light of day.
– Crescendo means increasing, says Ann. Our block solutions can be expanded to any size floor.
Ice rinks are heavily used and quick changes are required from, for example, concerts to hockey training. The floor systems can be quickly joined together and taken apart. They consist of parts that one person alone can lift. The floors can be insulated.
– When they are placed on top of ice, you want to avoid freezing your feet, says Ann.
An insulated event floor is laid on top of the ice.
Business took off and when Edvardssons' was to expand its staff rooms, the idea was born to use the technology in the floor tiles for tables as well.
Tables and chairs from Edvardssons' are both durable and elegant.
– Our clever disc systems allow the tables to be joined together without annoying gaps, Ann says. They can also be adapted to a variety of needs. One day a long table will be set, the next day the guests want to meet around smaller, round tables. There are all possibilities. Manufacture of stackable wooden chairs with a ten-year warranty soon followed.
Tables and chairs from Edvardssons' can withstand tough times. The company has, for example, delivered to several high schools which is the ultimate test. When a school later built a new building, the staff wanted to keep the durable furniture. Edvardssons renovated the furniture which then continued to be used by the teenagers. The main furniture customers, however, are conference facilities, restaurants and parishes.
Olle Edvardsson demonstrates how strong the chairs are.
There are several smart accessories for the chairs. For example, they can be connected in continuous rows and have hangers for hanging, which makes cleaning easier. When storing, the chairs form straight stacks that do not risk tipping over.
– The safety aspect is important, says Ann.
It is becoming increasingly crucial for environmentally conscious customers where things come from.
– Many companies pretend to sell Swedish, but the production takes place abroad, says Ann. All our production is done here in Bredbyn. We are right in time.
The most important environmental reason for choosing Edvardssons' is still the high quality. The products last a long time and are excellent to renovate, for continued use for many years.
– A chair that has been used for ten to twenty years can be used for at least another ten years after refurbishment, says Ann.
– No material is wasted in our production, she continues. Remaining pieces from the boxes are spliced together and become new boards. Materials that cannot be used for boxes, floors or furniture are chewed into chips that heat our premises.
Leftover parts are spliced. The material is used to the maximum and nothing is wasted.
New, smart solutions and functions are developed continuously.
– The sellers pick up the needs during their customer visits, Ann says. New ideas also emerge in manufacturing. Our creative carpenters, CNC operators and all other staff work together to ensure that the company is constantly evolving.
The company coped well with the pandemic years, thanks to continued strong demand for packaging. On the furniture side, it was more difficult because customer visits and trade fairs could not be carried out. Now, instead, material shortages and high prices are a concern, a consequence of the security situation in the outside world. Ann Strandberg chooses to focus on the positive.
– 2022 looks great, the order book is full. We are on the right track and have a very competent staff who thrive at work, she says. I am hopeful about the future.
The year also got off to a great start when Ann were one of three finalists in the award Cleantech Profile of the Year, which is presented by North Sweden Cleantech. A clear proof that they have positioned themselves and deliver sustainable solutions in wood.
Click here to see when an insulated event floor is laid in Fjällräven Center 2012! In one hour and 45 minutes, the floor was in place.
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International Business Developer
nina.rismalm@umea.se +46 70 256 82 84Umeå
International Business Developer
helena.nasstrom@ri.se +46 73 275 10 83Örnsköldsvik
