We acquire and refine profitable small and medium sized companies. Our success is the result of our genuine interest in developing companies, along with our conviction that it is people who make the difference. We are actively and long-term committed to our subsidiaries, not least when it comes to refining their business concepts and finding new business opportunities.

We are no faceless owner operating from afar. We participate, listen and provide advice and support. We do this because we know that together – owners, management and employees in combination – we can make companies more successful and better able to benefit from creativity, potential and growth opportunities at all levels – internally and externally, from management teams to individual employees.

To us, it is crucial that employees are empowered and able to make decisions – an approach that we believe provides us with the best opportunity for successful growth, both of companies and as individuals. This is why we constantly strive to make our processes more effective and people centric, allowing an equal give and take of responsibilities, and providing an opportunity for development. When we acquire companies, we like them to be able to retain their business identities and for the entrepreneurs in question to remain in the business. We work together because things tend to become more fun and successful when we do so.

Six cornerstones to success
Our strategy for achieving our goals is based on six cornerstones:

• The cultural values and views on profitability of our company group are central to the operations of the subsidiaries.
  
  
• Subsidiaries are steered towards clear and concrete goals based on both individually tailored and agreed-upon growth and profitability ambitions.
  
  
• Methodical work in order to improve the profitability of units within the group which may be underperforming.
  
  
• Focus on growth, organic development and additional acquisitions, in companies which meet established profitability requirements.
  
  
• Continual development of subsidiaries’ business concepts in order to capitalise on new business opportunities.
  
  
• Find and acquire companies according to internal criteria.

Our business is based on values that are guiding stars in our work and in our contact with both our corporate environment and our colleagues. Together, these values create a culture that is characterised by entrepreneurship, openness, enthusiasm and drive – an environment in which the individual, on their own or working with others, is essential for growth and success.

Customer benefit
How do we create value for the customer? This question is the starting point for everything we do. We aim to always keep a close and an even pace with the customer in order to better understand their reality. This allows us to develop customer-specific solutions that include better products and improved performance. The success of the customers is our success.

Management by objectives
Our subsidiaries are steered towards clear and concrete goals based on historical performance and agreed growth and profitability ambitions. Each company has individual goals depending on the situation and industry, and it is the companies themselves who decide how to achieve them.

Freedom, responsibility & progress
Our work is based on the principle of freedom with responsibility, with all our co-workers contributing and creating value, while simultaneously developing both themselves and the business. Those who work with us are able to make decisions and feel empowered whilst performing their daily tasks, as well as in dealings with both customers and suppliers. Being free to make decisions creates value not only for the business and our stakeholders, but also creates commitment among individuals.

That family feeling
At Söderbergföretagen, our communication is upfront, and doors are open. Alongside freedom and responsibility, community is another cornerstone for our success. We always encourage employees to find inspiration, advice and assistance from their colleagues in sister companies as well as in the parent company. We are a family where every member counts. We encourage people to take on responsibilities and we allow them to grow by confronting challenges. This results in dedicated employees, who feel emboldened and comfortable when they turn up for work on Monday.

Entrepreneurship
Our culture is characterised by an entrepreneurial spirit both at the level of the parent company and that of subsidiaries, where management has always been entrepreneurial – an approach that will remain unchanged during our ownership. Decision-making power, forward movement and courage are words that we are happy to put into action at all levels of our business. In addition, it is often non-standard thinking – taking place outside of the famous box – that enables new business opportunities to flourish. The entrepreneurial spirit also means that we trust the individual’s drive, always encourage proactivity and welcome individual initiatives.

We want to have an active role in society. We recognise the value of being a part of topics that branches beyond our core business, which is why we are involved in several projects.

As of now, we support and engage in the fundraising foundation My Special Day (Min Stora Dag) that makes the dreams of seriously ill children come true. Each year, hundreds of children in Sweden suffer from serious diseases. The goal is to give these children something wonderful to dream about when the days are long and the treatments are tough. Söderbergföretagen's founder Jan Söderberg is also a member of the board.

The Jan Söderberg family is passionate about the School of Economics at Lund University and as a result to this, the Jan Söderberg Family Prize in Economics and Management has emerged. Every year, outstanding and pioneering research is awarded with one million SEK in prize money. The purpose of the award is to act both as a motivation as well as a boost going forward, both for the individual on a personal level and as a researcher.

Our hopes are for this to engage the school as a whole, as well as leaving a mark on a national, and hopefully, an international level. Jan Söderberg is an honorary doctor at the School of Economics and a member of the school's Advisory Committee.