A GREENER ROOF TILE Family-owned Swedish company Benders Sverige AB is the country’s biggest roof tiles producer. With every aspect of the company positively touched by the family’s passion for responsible achievement, its plan for the future looks exciting. Emma-Jane Batey reports.
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ounded in 1960 when Karl-Erik Bender bought his first roof tile machine, Swedish tile manufacturing company Benders Sverige AB is still owned and managed by the Bender family, with son Ove Bender the managing director and Karl-Erik still the chairman of the board. Even though the company has a solid past as a reliable company in the production of good-looking, durable roof tiles, Benders has a policy to ‘seldom look back but to plan for the future’, which has stood it in good stead for the past 50 years. Vice-president Mats Jakobsson may not have the Benders’ name, but he is clear that all members of the company’s workforce are considered family. He told Industry Europe, “It’s a very family-orientated company, and we all feel part of the same team. There is a positive, mutually supportive atmosphere
that encourages us all to do our best, and seeing the founder involved in the day-today operation of the business is inspiring.”
A champion at work Indeed, Karl-Erik Bender’s inspiration as a company leader also comes from the fact that he is a former sporting champion, with his passion for horses and the sport of trotting almost as strong as his passion for providing high quality roof tiles. The 1973 Swedish winner in horse trotting, also known as harness racing, Karl-Erik bought his first horse at about the same time as his first roof tile machine, leading to a unique parallel that has continued ever since. Mr Jakobsson explained, “There are now 150 horses owned by the company, and we have continued to have great success with racing and breeding the horses. They
are roaming here at our head office, which makes for a very tranquil view! Although breeding horses started out as a hobby for Karl-Erik, it has grown to be a key part of our business.” Of course, the most famous part of Benders Sverige AB is its high quality, durable roof tiles, paving stones and stone walls, all of which the company designs and manufactures in a range of styles from traditional to modern. Well-known for the exceptional quality of its products, the sophisticated logistics provision supports the product reputation by making sure products are always delivered on time and in top quality. Mr Jakobsson told Industry Europe how the logistics provision at Benders plays an integral role in the day-to-day operation, and the long-term success of the brand. He said, “We have an environmental focus
