PARTNERS IN PROGRESS Partner Tech AB. is a global leader in the area of contract manufacturing and development. The company’s expertise extends across a broad range of industries from IT and Med-Tech sectors to Defence and Maritime applications. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to make the headlines with its technically advanced systems and strategic acquisitions.
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artner Tech has the distinction of recording one of the earliest dates for the foundation of a high-tech organisation. The company can trace its roots back to 1413 when a copper mine was established in Sweden. After many years in this role and following a sustained period of growth it entered into the business of office furniture manufacturing. However it was not until 1924, that Partner Tech’s business activities really began to take-off, with the development of one of the world’s first mechanical calculators. Building on these early successes, the company partnered with IBM in the 1970s on a variety of manufacturing assignments for many of their flagship products.
By the early 1990s the company’s focus was entirely on external contract manufacturing, thereby optimising its expertise in both product development and production areas. Today the company is quoted on the Swedish Nasdaq OMX Stock Exchange and employs more than 1,300 people at its modern plants in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, UK, the USA and China. In 2012 Partner Tech AB. recorded consolidated sales of SEK2.3 billion.
Integrated global sourcing and product development Partner Tech’s vision is to offer its customers complete supply chain value through its proven sourcing competences and product
development expertise. When it comes to global sourcing, Partner Tech has gained unrivalled experience through its dealings with some of the world’s biggest ‘blue-chip’ companies and its acquisitions of leading IT companies over many years. This gives the company a unrivalled perspective on productivity and a unique ability to offer companies a distinct competitive edge when selecting suppliers and building a supply chain that will outperform its rivals. PartnerTech’s supplier base is optimised with local, regional and global suppliers and its commodity-based sourcing division, in combination with low-cost country sourcing, ensures that its tailor-made solutions will meet any of its clients’ specific needs.
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