Husqvarna Group
 |
| Company type | Public (Nasdaq Stockholm: HUSQ B) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer Durables |
| Founded | 1689 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm and Huskvarna , |
Key people | Lars E. Westerberg Chairman Kai Wärn CEO |
| Products | outdoor power products including robotic mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws and trimmers, consumer watering products as well as cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. |
| Revenue | SEK 30,307 MSEK (2013) |
| SEK 1,6 billion (2013) | |
Number of employees | 14,156 (2013) |
| Website | http://www.husqvarnagroup.com |
The Husqvarna Group (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhʉːskvɑːrna]) is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including robotic mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws and trimmers. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products[1] and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries.
Husqvarna Group sponsors the Swedish ice hockey club; HV71 and several local community engagement projects around the world. [2]
History
1689 - Rifle factory The drillingwork at the waterfalls in Huskvarna, southern Sweden, is the first large plant. The state-owned rifle factory had some 1,000 employees at the beginning of the 18th century. The company was spun off from Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag in 1959. Shot-guns were produced for 300 years, the last was produced in 1989.
1872 - Sewing machines When demand declined, it turned out that the machinery for production of rifles was well-suited for producing sewing machines. The operations was divested in 1997 and Husqvarna-branded sewing machines are now produced by the VSM Group.
1874 - Kitchen equipment in cast iron Husqvarna starts a foundry to produce details for sewing machines, a large part being the base frames. Soon the assortment was broadened to include such products as kitchen equipment in cast-iron and later on stoves and ovens.
1896 - Bicycles Bicycles is being produced in the Huskvarna factory. Several patents are registered. The last bicycle is produced in 1962.
1903 - Motorcycles The first motorcycle, which could reach the impressive speed of 4–5 km/hour, was produced in 1903. Starting in the 1930s, Husqvarna's lightweight engines helped make some successful track racing and motocross bikes. Husqvarna's first titles in Motocross World Championship came in 1959 and 1960. The operation was divested in 1987 and is since 2013 part of the KTM family.
1919 - Lawn mowers When Husqvarna acquired Norrahammars bruk, the product range expands to heating boilers and lawn mowers. The first test with a lawn mower powered by an engine was done in 1947.
1959 - Chainsaws As demand for bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles declines, forestry becomes increasingly important. The expertize in engines is now utilized in new areas and the first chainsaw is produced in 1959.
1968 - Power cutters A saw rebuilt to a power cutter in 1968 was the starting point of what today is the business area Husqvarna Construction.
1978 - Electrolux acquired Husqvarna
1995 - Robotic lawn mowers The world's first solar powered robotic lawn mower was launched. Sales of robotic mowers did not take-off until 15 years later.
2006 - On its own feet The company was spun off by Electrolux.
2007 - Acquisitions of strong brands The acquisition of Gardena in 2007 made the Husqvarna Group the European leader in consumer watering products. Acquiring Zenoah brought a strong brand and geographical expansion in Japan.
2008 - Expanded presence in China The acquisition of Jenn Feng and the construction of a new plant for chainsaws and other handheld products gave expanded presence in Asia.
2009 - Demolition robot The first remote-controlled demolition robot was launched.
2013 - Chainsaw chains Decision is made to invest in a new production facility for chainsaw chains in Huskvarna.
Brands
Husqvarna owns several brands:[3]
See also
References
- ^ http://husqvarnagroup.com/en/about
- ^ Husqvarna Group Annual Report 2013
- ^ "More on brands". Retrieved 17 September 2014.
