The Lindab Story

lindab | we simplify construction

Our history of Simplifying Construction

lindab | we simplify constructionlindab | we simplify construction




The early learning years1959 - 1964



1959• AB Lidhults Plåtindustri formed in Grevie on 6 February 1959

• Lage Lindh and Valter Persson own 50 % each

• Aluminium strips for eternit panels as well as windowsills

• Small scale mass-production begins

• Timber merchants are the first customers

1962• Mass-production of pipes and guttering grows

• The need for premises increases together with the

number of employees

• Plans for expansion and a new factory get underway

The early learning years


1963• New equipment and increased skills within press technology

• Pressed bends for roof drainage launched

• Rima machine is purchased for the production one-piece lengths

1964• One-piece guttering and pipes launched

• Brackets launched

• Only supplier with a complete roof drainage programme

• New factory opens on Ängelholmsvägen

• The company is now a sheet metal industry in the true sense



New business area and broadening customer base

1965 - 1969




1965• Ventilation added as a new business area

• The first Spiro Tubeformer is purchased for producing spiral-seam ducts

• Spiral-seam ventilation ducts are launched

• New factory strengthens quality and service

• Neatness and order becomes an increasingly important concept

1967• Strong development of duct components

• Experience from roof drainage is important

• Range of ducts comprises 20+ dimensions

• New warehouse built



1968• "Scandinavia's biggest manufacturer of factory-made sheet metal components"

• Seam welding improves corrosion resistance and tolerance

• Roof drainage now in Organosol coated sheet metal

1969• Name change to Lindab and Lage Lindh becomes sole owner

• Agreement signed with key sheet metal wholesalers

• New Plåtisol launched in black, brown and grey

• Sales to tinsmiths increase rapidly

• Factory expanded and new land acquired



Focus on export and efficiency 1970 - 1975



1970• Agreement reached with Spiro Investment regarding export sales

• Lindab's ventilation products now sold worldwide

• First delivery to the USA in May

• Exports SEK 4.1 m of SEK 18 m total sales

• Staff welfare and production technology increase productivity

1971• Spirovent in Denmark becomes first establishment outside Sweden

• Lindab now has 156 employees and net sales of SEK 23.8 m

Focus on export and efficiency



1974• Roof drainage and profiles are moved to Förslöv

• Plastisol replaces Organosol as coating for roof drainage

• Svenska Fläktfabriken launches ducts with rubber seals

• Lindab immediately launches its own development

1975• Lindab takes over export sales from Spiro Investment

• New ventilation factory opens in Haderslev, Denmark

• Adaptation to the Eurovent standard begins

• The factories in Grevie and Förslöv are extended

Focus on export and efficiency


Strong local service and increased customer contact

1976 - 1982




1976• The rubber sealed LINDABsafe system is launched

• 2,000 ventilation products adapted to the new Eurovent standard

• Reorganisation of the Swedish company structure

• Sales offices open in Germany and Norway (1977)

1978• Plåtisol is now the leading roof drainage system in Sweden

• New Plåtisol components are added to the product range

• Subsidiary formed in Germany

• The first all-in-one T-piece

• Unique technical documentation for silencers



1980• Sales of Plåtisol and Lindab Safe accelerate

• Lindab acquires 40 % of VM-gruppen

• Major investment in local services and more local warehouses

• Subsidiary formed in Finland

1982• Entire VM-gruppen acquired

• The number branches increases from 6 to 13

• Own lorry freight system launched

• Proximity to tinsmiths and installers deepens customer relations

• Subsidiary formed in the UK



Product range broadened to the one billion mark

1984 - 1989




1984• Lindab introduced on the Stockholm Stock Exchange's “OTC” list

• Riscanco acquired in Denmark giving a new product area – diffusers and grilles

• Operations are divided up into two business areas – ventilation

and roofing/wall systems

• Carl-Gustaf Sondén becomes the new President

1986• Circular duct systems are now Lindab's biggest product

• Improved production technology increases quality and precision

• Haderslev and Farum extended to meet demand

• First steel partition wall stud is launched


1988• Lindab's sales pass the one billion kronor mark

• Lindab Steel formed and becomes the Group's steel service centre

• The highly modern new press hall in Grevie opens

• Factory expansion continues in Denmark

• Carl-Gustaf Sondén named CEO1989• Major investment within roofing/wall systems

• Product range grows within lightweight construction technology

• New steel studs, lightweight beams and battens are launched

• Steel halls becomes a new product area

• Factories for locally adapted production are now present in all

established markets



CEE and increased internationalisation1990 - 1994



CEE and increased internationalisation

1990• European investment in roofing/wall systems introduced

• Lage Lindh: "The Hungarians obviously need our profiles and guttering"

• Peter Andsberg recruited and given the task of establishing Lindab in Hungary

• Lindab Tile Effect Roofing, Exterior wall studs and Doors are launched

1991• Lage Lindh sells his Lindab shares and leaves the company

• Danish institutional owners and the management form an

owner consortium

• 50 % of sales now from outside Sweden

• All air technology gathered under the product name Comfort

• Subsidiaries are formed in Hungary, Italy and Germany


1992• Biggest structural changes yet undertaken

• Swedish and Danish manufacturers and distributors acquired

• Spiro International in Switzerland acquired

• Sales in Hungary begin and factory opens

• Subsidiaries formed in USA, Poland and Czech Republic (1993)

1994• Growth continues in CEE

• Subsidiary formed in Romania

• Quality and environmental certification work intensifies

• The roofing/wall system business area becomes Profile

CEE and increased internationalisation


Increased skills and simplifying construction

1996 - 1999




1996• Lightweight construction technology simplifies construction and grows steadily

• Development of IT tools for project planning and quantifying begins

• Profile business area's sales in the CEE grow strongly

• Acquisitions strengthen Ventilation

1997• IT programmes for both Profile and Ventilation launched

• Subsidiaries formed in Russia and Croatia

• Ventilation business area launched in CEE

• Lindab now present in 101 locations in 18 countries


1998• Rainline roof drainage system with snap-lock launched

• Sales in CEE pass the half-billion kronor mark

• Lindab establishes its own IT centre for development and training

• Lindab Safe certified airtightness class D

• Sales offices open in Ukraine, Estonia and Sarajevo

1999• Lindab CADvent, DIMcomfort and DIMsilencer launched

• Acoustic laboratory in Farum extended

• Prescribers are now an increasingly important target group

• Lindab Doorline and the RdB acoustic stud are launched



Strategic acquisitions strengthen customer values

2000 - 2004




2001• Lindab delisted from the Stock Exchanges in Stockholm and Copenhagen

• Owners consortium Lindab Intressenter takes over

• Indoor climate company TeknoTerm acquired

• Skills and product range in the Comfort area enhanced

2002• Reorganisation into two business areas

• Air Distribution and Rainline are designated core businesses

• Butler Europe Kft acquired

• Sales offices in Russia, Slovakia and Bulgaria


2003• Kjell Åkesson appointed new President and CEO

• Fill the Gap profitability programme is launched

• Lindab makes its largest investment with the new

Central European factory

• "Simplifying construction", "Neatness and order" and "Down to earth"

2004• Sales in the CEE pass one billion kronor

• Rainline is now the leader in both the Nordic region and the CEE

• Increasingly active marketing from both business areas

• Product development intensifies



Focus on simplifying construction2005 - 2008



Focus on simplifying construction

2005• Lindab acquires Astron Buildings

• Profile launches the ADT Tools design programme

• Ventilation launches the Comfort products Celo, Fusion and Facilis

2006• Lindab shares are listed again on the Stockholm Stock Exchange

• CCL Veloduct acquired

• "We simplify construction" becomes Lindab's new company pledge

• Ventilation launches the Lindab Partnership

• Lindab's products are now available from 1,700 sales outlets


2007• Lindab Safe Click launched

• The Plexus chilled beam with a 360° diffusion pattern is launched

• Ventilation factory in St. Petersburg opens

• First turf cut for the new Building Systems factory outside Moscow

• Aervent Holdings acquired giving Lindab leading position in Ireland

2008• The Lindab RdBX partition wall stud is launched

• Facade Cassette Premium launched

• Aerodim silencer launched

• Slovak profiled sheeting and roof drainage company Sipog Group acquired

• David Brodetsky appointed President and CEO

Focus on simplifying construction


Focus on customer success2009 - 2012



2009• Smart tools to simplify the ventilation installers working day launched

• Cy-nergy, energy module, launched by Building Systems

• New Plexus beam – 3rd generation chilled beam launched

• Lindab Life, activities for social responsibility based on the ISO 26000 standard, is introduced

2010• The Finnish ventilation and indoor climate company IVK-Tuote Oy acquired

• Lindab’s new factory for Building Systems opens in Yaroslavl, Russia

• MBB plenum box launched

• New strategy focusing on customer success introduced

• 64 Rainline centers opened

Focus on customer success


2011• Danish Juvenco acquired

• Belgian Airflux and its innovative 24/7 unmanned branch concept acquired

• First Lindab Flexi Shop, unmanned 24/7 branch, opened

• Think less communicating sustainability launched

• lindQST product selection tool launched

• Lindab SRP Click and Roca roof solutions launched

• French Elia Sarl ventilation distributor acquired

• Distribution network increased with 10 branches

• 40 new Rainline centers



2012• The sandwich panel manufacturing of Swedish Plannja acquired

• Majority holding of the Polish ventilation company Centrum Klima acquired

• Lindab Inside residential ventilation concept launched

• Lindab Pascal VAV solution for demand controlled ventilation launched



We Simplify Construction

Business

The Lindab Story