History

In 1923, manufacturer Henrik Zetterberg founded the company A. Zetterbergs Smidesverkstad, a relatively small-scale operation that employed just three staff in its workshop.

In 1925, the company introduced the first vehicle cargo bed. The body of a Ford Model T was cut at the rear
and a small cargo bed built onto the chassis.

In 1929, the first tipping device was manufactured, originally hand-cranked but later motorised.

In 1930, hydraulic rams were added to the tipping device.

In 1938, Göte Zetterberg took over the company at the age of 17 years.
The company name was changed to A. Zetterbergs Mek. Verkstad.

In 1959, the company was converted into a joint-stock company under the name AB Zetterbergs Mek Verkstad.

The company expands

In 1972, the company moved to a new factory site of just over 8000 m².
That investment was probably one of the biggest and most important decisions in our history.
The site has since been expanded, with the addition of an assembly hall and surface treatment in 1988 and a new drying hall in 2008. Today, the site covers an indoor area of approximately 13,325 m².

Until 1988, the company was owned by the Zetterbergs family, before being floated on the stock market.

Following the recession in the 1990s, the main ownership ended up in Finnish hands. In 2000, the group to which Zetterbergs belonged was bought off the stock market and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Finnish company Partek Oy Ab, and a few years later, Finnish company KONE.

We invest in Swedish production

In 2005, the then CEO Torbjörn Eriksson, together with the current CEO, Lars Erfäldt, bought the company back into local Swedish ownership.

Today, CEO Lars Erfäldt is the main owner of the company, with other company management acting as partners.

It is quite an achievement to still be operating as a company after 100 years. Most of our competitors have filed for bankruptcy at least once during that time. Despite our long history, this is something we have never done – and we’re proud of it.

Today, Zetterbergs is a small, but still important part of Sweden’s automotive and manufacturing industry, with a clear ambition to continue developing our business and products here in Sweden. Today, Zetterbergs is a small but still important part of Sweden’s automotive and manufacturing industry, with a clear ambition to continue developing our business and our products here in Sweden. Our marketing clearly states that what we manufacture is “Made in Sweden”.

Anchored by the owners and the board, the consensus is that we should conduct most of our business in Östervåla, and that we should ensure the company’s continued existence here.
Clear proof of this can be seen in our investment in automated and streamlined production.

Drawing on our rich history, we continue to build a successful company.