2020
BUILT TO LAST
®
WITH CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE
On track with EAB
Lets in the light with new doors
EAB takes part in Vasaloppet for the 9th time
The previous were sold after 38 years
Sustainable projects
EAB's diversity is reflected in Ellos
EAB builds biogas plants
Parts from all three of our business areas
IN THIS ISSUE YOU CAN READ ABOUT...
4-7. EAB's versatility is reflected in Ellos Parts from all three of our business areas
With confidence in the future This year it will be 30 years since we put the entire warehouse world in motion by developing the Radioshuttle™ system. A product and a "mindset" that built up our muscles, so that today we are strong, healthy and ready to pack a punch going forward. Based on this statement, it's not hard to draw a parallel with how EAB constantly encourages employees to take some form of physical exercise, which naturally also includes us as owners. And it should be fun to exercise. This increases the positive effect many times over, as the body and brain are interlinked and have a strong influence on each other. However, it is important to keep it up, since fitness is a perishable commodity and success and results are rarely due to luck. Work hard, train hard is what counts, and often a steely determination too. Regardless of what level we are at. Nobody has missed that the whole world is in motion and with the spread of COVID-19. We have takes actions and are acting in accordance with government recommendations. It is imperative that our employees feel safe at work. For EAB, it is in times like this it is particularly important to look ahead, and dare to have confidence in the future and to invest in it. Over the years, together with our fantastic employees and business partners, we have built a strong root system that will survive the storm, and even though we still have a challenging and uncertain time ahead of us, we have a strong belief and hope that we will come out of this even stronger. On the next page you can read about how we actually have the courage anf strength to invest in times like these, by recruiting new staff and expanding. Belief in the future is extremely important, both for the region and for our employees. We are built to last - together. Sven-Gunnar Andersson
10-12. When Swedish originals meet Storage equipment for ice cream producer
13-14. Meet our door experts Andreas and Lars-Göran tell us what it's like to work with doors at EAB
16-17. EAB worldwide EAB supplies Radioshuttle to South Africa
24-25. Radioshuttle™ 30 years EAB's system first on the market
28. On track with EAB EAB takes part in Vasaloppet for the 9th time
Per-Åke Andersson
FRONTLINE IS A MAGAZINE FROM EAB IN SMÅLANDSSTENAR, SWEDEN. RESPONSIBLE PUBLISHER PER-ÅKE ANDERSSON TEXT: FRIDA ANDERSSON, EMMA OHLIW, JOHANNA CLAESSON LAYOUT: FRIDA ANDERSSON FOTOGRAPHERS : JONAS LJUNGDAHL, ANDERS ESKILSSON, BJÖRN SOLFORS EAB I SMÅLANDSSTENAR, SWEDEN I TEL (+46) 371-34 000 I E-MAIL: INFO@EAB.SE I WWW.EAB.SE
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We see a bright future – build, expand and recruit
Fantastic development in recent years has meant EAB is now short of space. Production expanded during 2018/2019 by 13,500 sq.m. and it is now time for the next construction project to start. Expansion of our A-hall began in the autumn of 2019. We build smart The hall will be used primarily for blasting and warehousing, and will be extended by 66 meters to a width of 28 meters, with a clearance height of 7 meters beneath the rafters. This takes a lot of material – in total, 83 tonnes of steel will be used for the expansion. The plan is for the hall to be ready just in time for the 2020 summer holiday, at which point EAB will measure no less than 330 meters. Read more about our journey on Stålgatan on the back page of the magazine. The hall will be heated with biogas, just like our other premises, but as only a few people will be working in the new section of the hall we have chosen directional heating concentrated at the workplaces, thereby reducing energy consumption. When we build, we want to build smart!
Important to grow locally The expansion of our offices and staff canteen also commenced in the spring of 2020. We are expanding our premises by a total area of 200 sq.m. The expansion of our offices will provide 15 new workplaces and a new conference room. Here, wherever possible, we will use current fixtures, doors and windows in line with our environmental approach. We are creating space for a further 50 canteen users by extending our staff canteen. We think it's important to be able to eat and chat together during breaks, and of course everyone should have the space to do this at the same time.
Need for more employees Employees are EAB's primary asset and we work actively to be an attractive workplace. During the spring we will be looking to fill several new positions. It's important for us to grow locally. By being strong locally, we will be strong globally. "For us, Smålandsstenar is an incredibly important part of our business. This is where our roots and our culture lie. That's why we choose to build and expand in Smålandsstenar. We're a family business in a small place, where many of us know each other. EAB consists our employees and their families as a whole," says Per-Åke Andersson.
To reduce energy consumption, we have opted for directional heating concentrated at the workplaces, in the form of ceiling-mounted infrared heaters.
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”The start of a long and good cooperation”
EAB STEEL BUILDINGS, STORAGE EQUIPMENT & DOORS
EAB's diversity is reflected in Ellos
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Ellos Group is a leading Nordic e-commerce group for fashion and home furnishings, with the e-commerce sites Ellos, Jotex, Stayhard and Homeroom. With headquarters and warehouses in Borås, they have their roots deep in the heart of the Swedish textile industry.
Investment in new logistics centre
Ellos Group was founded in Borås in 1947 by entrepreneur Olle Blomqvist and the first mail order catalogue was sent out as far back as 1953. Ellos was also an early adopter of digital solutions - the first online shopping solution was launched in 1999.
Challenging projects
The new logistics centre at Viared in Borås brings the main part of its Ellos Home business, its own brand in home furnishings and textiles, together in one place, moving from four small warehouses to one large one. In addition to the warehouse, an outlet store has also been opened in the premises. At EAB, we are proud and happy to have been able to deliver steel frames, storage equipment and safety doors for the new logistics centre.
EAB supplied the frames, roof and walls for the close to 30,000 sq.m. building. The property has an internal clearance height of 10 metres and has been constructed with the future in mind – the northern end is already designed so that it can be extended.
WHAT WAS USED IN THE PROJECT
Anders Eskilsson
• 1.500 wall elements • 2.700 roofing sheets • 5.100 m³ of roof insulation • 231 bolt baskets
”Parts from all THREE of our business areas”
We also supplied a balcony, pillars and sheet metal for the interior Ellos Outlet warehouse store. The building and property development company Bockasjö serves as the client for the frames and associated deliveries. The lead-time at EAB from order to delivery is quick, and the building is normally ready after just six months. When Ellos' new warehouse was to be built, 25-year-old construction engineer Jonatan Eriksson was at the drawing board. ”This was really a special project for me, because it's the first logistics building I've designed entirely myself. This building is almost twice the size of what I've designed together with colleagues before. During the project design period, you suffer a bit from tunnel vision, and most of the time I was just concerned with getting on with the work and moving on in the project. Even though I visited the site several times during the construction work, it was probably only during inspection and afterwards that I realised what an impressive project this was. A really fun project with many new challenges and lessons learned!” says Jonatan.
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”A really fun project with lots of new challenges and lessons learned!” - Jonatan Eriksson, Construction Engineer at EAB
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In addition to the steel frame, EAB also supplied storage equipment for Ellos' new logistics centre. ”I've worked with Ellos for many years and we've been a big supplier to them for a long time. This is a wonderful modern facility, with a lot of special solutions, for example due to the many pallets they use for furniture and textiles. These pallets are often extra-long and are much easier to handle with customised racks. We're proud to once again deliver large amounts of equipment for Ellos in Borås," says Jörgen Svensson, Area Sales Manager for storage equipment at EAB.
Start of the mesh shelving Ellos not only uses pallets for storage, but also has large numbers of cardboard boxes in its warehouse. Consequently, a large amount of mesh shelving has been installed, to allow for optimal operation of the sprinkler systems in the event of a fire.
”We actually have Ellos to thank for how we started to deliver mesh shelving. During the early contact stage with Ellos at the beginning of our relationship, they had mesh shelving as part of their enquiry. Since we could deliver this, our longstanding cooperation got off to a good start. As always, we were keen to find the best solution together with our customer, and here it really was a stroke of luck," Jörgen says. Thanks to a mezzanine solution of 5,000 sq.m., the area in the building could be optimally utilised and space made for a further 10 rows of pallet and shelf racks. The overall delivery has provided Ellos with around 32,000 pallet spaces.
Versatile with all business areas There are also 13 security doors in the building from our door department. We are very happy to have had the opportunity to deliver as diverse a project as this one, with parts from all three of our business areas.
”As always, we're keen to find the best solution together with our customer, and here it really was a stroke of luck” - Jörgen Svensson, Area Sales Manager for EAB storage equipment 7
EAB DOORS
Lets in the light with new doors ”The previous were sold after 38 years” Däckcenter in Anderstorp was
Henrik Åstmar, owner, Däckcenter
started in 1970 by Anders Åstmar, but has been owned by his son Henrik since 2007. They currently have three employees. There is also a tyre hotel at Däckcenter, which currently houses tyres for around 900 cars.
”My initial idea was to change to the same doors as we had before, but power-operated. But after checking your website and discovering these fully-glazed doors that were also available as power-operated, the choice was simple. Choosing doors that let in so much light really changed the atmosphere in our premises, making them much brighter and more pleasant. We also chose solar control glass to limit the amount of heat that can build up with so much glass. It's also great that the doors can be opened and closed quickly and that both doors can be operated using the same remote control!”
The premises were built in 1982, when they were fitted out with doors from EAB, as two manual inward-opening folding doors with sheet-metal cladding. Unusually large doors were fitted at that time, measuring 3.6 metres wide and just over 5 metres high. Today, these have proved to be the perfect access dimensions for modern-day trucks, which are significantly higher than back in the 1980s.
An obvious choice Sustainability is important for us at EAB. That EAB's doors have a long service life is important to us, which is also confirmed by Henrik Åstmar at Däckcenter. Their existing doors were installed in 1982 and since then have kept on going, come rain or shine. Henrik has now updated his building with completely new EAB doors because he wanted power-operated doors instead of manual ones. There was no doubt that the new doors would come from EAB. ”Since the old doors have worked since 1982 and still work just as well, it was obvious that EAB doors would be the choice this time, too," says Henrik.
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”Since the old doors had worked since 1982 and still worked just as well, it was obvious that EAB doors would be the choice this time too."
Reuse with EAB ”Because our old doors were still fully functional, despite having many years behind them, I put them up for sale online. Within a week, the doors were sold to their new owner in Sundsvall. That EAB is built to last is something I can really testify to!,” says Henrik.
"That EAB is built to last is something I can really testify to!” - Henrik Åstmar, owner, Däckcenter
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From left: Dan Isaksson, founder of Alvestaglass. Seen here together with CEO Richard Hertvig. Björn Solfors
EAB STORAGE EQUIPMENT
When Swedish originals meet Alvestaglass has produced ice cream since 1979 and has progressed from a local business, in the small town of Alvesta in Sweden, to a strong and popular brand among Swedish ice cream lovers. And the story doesn't end there either, since in recent years they have introduced new, healthier alternatives, which do very well both internationally and among today's health-conscious consumers. The proprietary LOHILO brand, which stands for low carb, high protein and low fat, includes protein ice cream without added sugar, while tasting just as good as traditional ice cream.
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Dan Isaksson ”The Ice Cream Maestro" EAB had the opportunity to talk to the man behind all the ice cream, Dan Isaksson a.k.a. the Ice Cream Maestro, who started and developed the company. Dan invited us to taste his favourite ice creams while enthusiastically describing the company's journey and the exciting process behind the different flavours. ”Consumers are becoming more aware as every day passes, and for us it's both important and fun to be able to launch a healthier alternative without sugar, and with a lower fat content, but with more protein," he says. Dan also describes how new flavours are developed. Dan reviews current trends within confectionery and then carries out a lot of tests. As a relatively small company, with short decision-making channels, it takes just a few months from discussing a new flavour until it is available in the freezer at the local supermarket. Dan also proudly relates that Lohilo is the brand that first launched protein ice cream, sugarfree ice cream and completely lactose-free ice cream, so that, according to Dan, they are the market's original brand.
”Most of the flavours we've produced and launched have been successful, but there have naturally also been some product flops. Early in the process, we launched an aloe vera-flavoured ice cream, but we probably didn't get it quite right," Dan says with a smile. Erik Isaksson, warehouse manager at Alvestaglass, describes how that today there are ten warehouses in Sweden and around 70 full-time employees in total. Their ambition is to double turnover this year and, in five years' time, they expect to export far more. Due to this growth, they needed larger storage areas with an optimised number of pallet spaces, in order to ensure future expansion. They moved into new warehouse and logistics premises in Växjö, where freezer capacity of 2,000 m² was incorporated (to hold the no less than 4 million ice creams stored there). Jonas Ljungdahl
Magnus Ullerås, Area Sales Manager, EAB ”By installing Radioshuttle™ at Alvestaglass, they have capacity for twice as many pallet spaces, and thereby ice creams, which saves them both energy and resources," emphasises Magnus Ullerås, Area Sales Manager for storage equipment at EAB.
”Radioshuttle™ helps us streamline and create more storage space”
Apart from optimising the storage area in the best possible way, there was also a need for a storage solution that could function in the temperature zones required by a -24°C freezer.
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”Room for twice as many pallet spaces, and therefore ice creams, which saves them both energy and resources” For Magnus at EAB, it became clear at an early stage that our patented Radioshuttle™ system was the perfect solution for Alvestaglass and their storage situation. ”Every day, a large number of ice creams are moved in and out of our warehouse, and during our campaign periods the lead time for an ice-cream is less than one day. So yes, Radioshuttle™ really helps us to streamline and create more storage space. It's been a pleasure to work with EAB and the cooperation between us has worked flawlessly, from the start to final installation," says Erik Isaksson, warehouse manager at Alvestaglass. ”It's been both fun and exciting to be part of this great expansion journey for Alvestaglass. EAB was involved at an early stage, which meant that together we could find a solution that specifically fits their operations and development journey. It's also pretty cool that Radioshuttle™, which is the original brand on its market, is now helping some other original brands," says Magnus.
Magnus Ullerås, Area Sales Manager at EAB
ABOUT ALVESTAGLASS Alvestaglass changed its name to Lohilo Foods last autumn. The Lohilo Foods Group includes such brands as Alvestaglass, Järna, Nix, Häägen Daz and Lohilo.
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r Meet ouerts! p door ex We say hello to
Andreas Nyberg who tells us what it's like to work as a door mounter at EAB.
> Who are you and what do you work with? "I'm Andreas Nyberg, I live in Burseryd with my family and I like playing golf or padel tennis when I have the time. I started at EAB 19 years ago and worked as a mounter for steel buildings. After many years with a lot of work in the field, I was looking for some change when I got the offer to start in the door department instead as a mounter manager. I jumped at the chance, and have been there ever since, so for about four years.
”A relatively normal building becomes something very special after the doors have been replaced” > What's a day like for you as a door mounter for EAB?
also vary a lot. From one day mounting a door in a barn down in Skåne, to the next day installing a glass section at a school in Gothenburg. Another thing I really appreciate about this job is all the positive feedback you get. When mounting a door you essentially have to always follow the project from start to finish, and being able to meet the satisfied customer before you leave the building is just super!
> What's the best thing about your job? "It's great to see the difference an EAB door can make to a building. If you choose the more individually designed doors with a lot of glass, this can make a really stunning impression. I've seen a lot of examples where a relatively normal building becomes something very special after the doors have been replaced. The fact that we have so many options means that EAB's doors fit everywhere, in any building, and even a private garage. Working with doors is really fun!
"Every day is different. As a fitter manager I have a great deal of contact with customers, bouncing around ideas, then heading off to the site to measure and plan. As EAB's doors are available in so many different versions and finishes, the projects
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Meet our door expe rts! We say hello to
Lars-Göran Fahlén
who tells us what it's like to work as a Area Sales Manager for doors at EAB. > Who are you and what do you work with? - My name is Lars-Göran Fahlén, most people call me Lasse. I live in Smålandsstenar and love the forest and nature. I've worked as a Area Sales Manager for doors at EAB since 1988.
> What's a day like for you as a Area Sales Manager at EAB? - A day at work can vary quite a lot. I submit offers, write orders, talk to customers and have a lot of contact with production here at EAB. It is a fun and very varied job. Since our doors come in many different sizes and models, every project is different. I have a lot of contact with different people, ranging from architects and builders to customers and colleagues at the factory. No two days are the same! Perhaps that's why people are so happy to work here after all these years!
”The door is like a jewel in the building's facade” > You have been involved in an exciting development journey over the years. How does it feel? - At the ”old” EAB, when I started, there were around 80 employees, of whom about ten in the office. Today, 32 years later, we are closer to 250 employees, the company has grown enormously 14
and, today, EAB has a very large market both in Sweden and internationally. So my job has obviously changed quite a lot over the years. However, you can still feel the sense of family that has always existed here, and I think it's very good that we've managed to keep this!"
> What do you see as the biggest development in the door department? - Being part of this amazing development has been really great. In the past, the doors tended to be ordinary industrial doors. Today, doors can be customised to match individual requirements. With today's options to pick the design, colour and materials, the door is like a jewel in a building's facade. We have a really professional team in the door department! All manufacturing takes place by hand at our factory in Smålandsstenar. We paint our doors in the door department's own paintshop, where customers can pick their preferred colour. We have several different insulation options to choose from, and we're the only ones in the market to offer this. The option to choose power operation of all our doors makes it easier to keep the doors closed, which is also a way of contributing to a better environment. Today, there is really no such thing as an ordinary door. In fact, we produce everything from glass walls for offices to wooden doors for barns, and the variety is endless. It's a great development, really!"
Did you know this about
EAB’s doors?
”We produce everything from cat-flaps to hangar doors, from the southern tip of Skåne to the northern tip of Norrland” – Lars-Göran Fahlén
Before
After
EAB DOORS FOR EVERYONE EAB manufactures doors for everyone, no matter who you are or where you are.
IT'S EASY TO GIVE YOUR DOOR A NEW LIFE!
In 2019, we delivered more than 3 000 doors. Everything from folding doors, which are our top sellers, to fire doors and thermo windows. EAB, Smålandsstenar
Do you have a fully-covered EAB door without glazed sections, but perhaps want more light in your premises and a better outlook? No problem. With our "Glazing Kit" you can fit a glazed section into your existing folding door, hung door or pass door. Of course, we can also help with installation if you wish.
We keep our promises! At EAB, we always provide a 10-year guarantee on all our doors, proving that we keep our promises. 15
EAB LAGERINNREDNING
Made in Smålandsstenar.
Works worldwide.
AKS Lining Systems is a rapidly growing company located in Cape Town, South Africa. They manufacture thermoplastic casting accessories in their own factory and currently export their products to more than 30 countries worldwide.
More efficient storage system When AKS Lining Systems began to grow out of their existing premises, they not only needed more space for their next factory, but also a more efficient storage system. In their previous premises, they used a drive-in storage system, which limited their turnover of the raw material inventory and meant that they didn’t utilise their entire storage capacity. Another problem to solve was that all raw materials are imported and arrive at the factory in containers and not on standardised pallets. The material weighs a lot, approximately 1,500 kg per pallet, and is spread over several different pallet sizes.
The perfect solution The project manager at AKS Lining Systems had previously worked with storage systems and was already familiar with the concept of pallet management systems. He got in touch with Chris Welthagen at Palian, our South African partner. Chris quickly realised that Radioshuttle™ would be the perfect solution for them.
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”It's fantastic to be able to deliver a project where everything runs smoothly and where, together with the customer, we have solved the challenges in the best possible way.” - Chris Welthagen, Palian, EAB's partner in South Africa
”I thought straight away that Radioshuttle™ would give them much greater flexibility in the warehouse and would also be safer to use, as the truck never needs to drive into the rack channels. I showed them a couple of reference projects we had carried out with EAB earlier, for two of the largest food wholesalers in South Africa, and they quickly realised that this was the Rolls Royce of shuttle systems,” says Chris.
Ready for extension Another challenge in the project was that there was only a small, dedicated area where the raw material could be stored, as it needed to be stored close to the manufacturing equipment. ”To resolve this, we split the warehouse into two sections according to their needs, although both sections can be used for several different pallet sizes. We have also made sure that the system
can be extended easily, if AKS Lining Systems chooses to expand the factory. It is also possible to add to the system’s height, to get more storage across the same area,” says Chris. The project was completed in three months and since then has functioned completely as planned. ”It’s fantastic to be able to deliver a project where everything runs smoothly and where, together with the customer, we have solved the challenges in the best possible way,” says Chris. ”Together with Chris, we have delivered several installations to South Africa, and our relationship goes back a long way. Chris is knowledgeable and experienced, and a very good ambassador for Radioshuttle™,” says Håkan Gedda, Area Sales Manager for Radioshuttle™ at EAB.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...? EAB’s storage equipment is found in most parts of the world. In 2019, we delivered storage equipment for 750.000 pallet spaces to 41 countries (the areas marked in green on the map). Made in Smålandsstenar. Works worldwide.
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”Strong team with many local talents” Important driving force Bo Hallberg, who is a real driving force behind Gislaved Volleyball Club, has been a key person in the club since 1974. Bo is assistant trainer for the ladies team, but also has various tasks at the club and takes care of a lot of the practical work involved. He is also sponsorship manager and devotes a lot of time to this work. In the course of a season, he will spend around four weeks on sponsorship work. In recent years, a major problem when it comes to sponsorship is that many of the district's large companies have been acquired by large Groups. When the company's management is not located in the area, personal contacts are often lost. Sponsors are extremely important to the club. ”To perhaps exaggerate a little, we wouldn't be able to manage one week without sponsors, and we certainly couldn't have a team at elite level," says Bo.
GVK, Gislaved Volleyball Club, was founded in 1968 and was initially a club that focused on both men's and women's teams. Since the early 1980s they have focused entirely on women's sport, which has been a successful strategy. As one of the club's biggest sponsors, EAB is involved in and supports this strategy.
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Believing in the future ”We have a strong team, with many local talents and a number of pros from outside. There is great interest in the sport and we have groups ranging from five-year-olds to high-school teams. If we find dedicated leaders, we adjust the groups and training times accordingly. Volleyball is definitely a sport at the forefront here in Gislaved and the future looks bright for us!” says Bo. EAB is an important sponsor for the club and is highly visible in the sports hall and also on the players' clothes, such as jackets and tracksuits, and on the spectator stands.
”The friendliest and nicest sponsor you could have” ”Through EAB's various sponsorships of our local associations, we do what we can to help create better opportunities for associations to survive and develop. It's naturally particularly exciting that we have the opportunity to support women's sport at elite level," says Per-Åke Andersson, CEO at EAB. ”It's great to meet sponsors who are keen to support sport. EAB is the friendliest and nicest sponsor you could have! We've enjoyed really long and good cooperation," Bo concludes.
EAB AS SPONSOR Gislaved Volleyball Club is one of 30 associations sponsored by EAB throughout Sweden. We focus primarily on our local associations, but we also sponsor larger clubs such as HV71. It's natural for EAB to help and do what we can to contribute to an active society.
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Here, EAB is extending Hotel Skansen's spa facility
EAB STEEL BUILDINGS
”Different and
fun projects” Hotell Skansen, Båstad
In the summer resort of Båstad on the Bjäre Peninsula there's a lot to enjoy and tennis is at the centre. Every year, the Swedish Open tennis tournament is played here, and the area is filled with tourists and tennis lovers, not just during the tennis week, but also throughout the summer. But it's not just during the summer that Båstad is worth visiting. In the winter months, Båstad is transformed into a place for rest and recuperation. To quote the king of Båstad from the 1900s, Ludvig Nobel – ”In Båstad, we live a life of rest and recreation". This is clearly apparent at Hotel Skansen, not least after the major extension of their spa and wellness centre, which took shape during the winter of 2019/2020.
Investing in wellness Hotel Skansen was founded in the 1920s and today has four different hotel buildings with a total of 172 rooms. The hotel is certified under the Nordic Ecolabel, which means that the hotel has taken a holistic approach to its environmental work and fulfilled the Nordic Ecolabel's stringent requirements. A business which, with the help of the Nordic Ecolabel, works to achieve a sustainable society. Their existing spa and wellness centre will now be expanded and a completely new spa, located up on the roof of the Winter Garden, one of the hotel buildings, will be inaugurated in July 2020. EAB is very proud to be part 20
of this building work, as we have supplied and installed various steel elements for the project. Among other things, we have supplied a 13-metre high lift shaft manufactured at EAB in one piece, which was then lowered through the roof so it can be installed inside the hotel.
”A business that works for a sustainable society” We also installed the framework structure for the new relaxation venue, which is sited on the existing roof, and reinforced it so that it can support the new infinity pool. The delivery also included a number of pillars, brackets for flagpoles, and a number of staircases and railings, in each case according to their existing design.
ABOUT HOTEL SKANSEN Hotel Skansen has 172 rooms in the main building, the Winter Garden, the Tennis Pavilion and the Congress Building, with room for 330 guests. For guests who want to stay somewhere a little more secluded, villas and apartments are also available. Hotel Skansen is part of GRAM Hotels, which also includes Torekov Hotel and Hotel Riviera Strand. These are three unique hotels on the Bjäre Peninsula, each with its own special character, but united by warmth, plenty of atmosphere and exceptional surroundings. The main building was built as a grain warehouse in 1877, and converted into a hotel and meeting place for prominent spa and tennis guests in the 1920s.
Jan Carlsson, constructor, EAB - This is a very different and fun project. It differs a lot from the square hall that we would usually work with. There are lots of people involved, who rely on each other, and the finish is very important. It is also quite different to set up a construction site in the middle of a hotel. We have to work unobtrusively here, so as not to disturb the guests staying at the hotel. In the new spa and wellness centre, guests can enjoy an infinity pool and jaccuzzi, and also relax on the sun terrace or on one of the lounger beds. Or why not enjoy a refreshing beverage in the hotel's Rooftop Bar? Here, you can look out over the sea and the centre court.
EAB made the lift shaft that graces the entrance to the new spa and wellness centre.
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EAB STEEL BUILDINGS
Sustainable projects seal the knot Our environmental approach is important to us and we think that projects run in a sustainable spirit are a bit more exciting to plan and execute. Since 2013, our facility in Smålandsstenar has been run on wind power of certified origin. At the beginning of 2019, biogas, a 100% renewable fuel, replaced natural gas as the fuel source used to heat the building. This is part of our efforts to minimise the environmental impact of our operations and reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by almost 2,000 tonnes a year. We want our environmental work to be as sustainable as our products and relationships. In 2019, we planned two different biogas plant projects, with construction start in early 2020. In view of our own investment in biogas, these projects were particularly interesting.
Biogas plant in Jönköping EAB supplied the framework structure for Hitachi Zosen Inova's (HZI) new biogas plant in Jönköping, through the client NCC, which is the turnkey contractor for the building and EAB's partner for the project. The plant will use anaerobic digestion to produce environmentally-friendly biogas from food and garden waste for, among other things, fossil-free fuel. The aim is for 40,000 tonnes of organic food waste to produce around 35 GWh of biogas each year, which is then converted into high-quality biomethane and sold as fuel for e.g. public transport and other gas-propelled vehicles. The new biogas plant has been in full operation since February 2020.
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”The decision to use EAB was based primarily on their competences in terms of project design, rapid communication and extensive experience in steel framework structures. The project design help we received initially was of great help to our client HZi," says Martin Hamn, contract engineer at NCC. ”Our entire organisation on site found the project fun to work on, together with EAB. They're very pleased with the product and that the promised cost structure was adhered to, with any changes being flagged up promptly.”
VIVAB in Falkenberg When VIVAB in Falkenberg planned to build a new waste facility in Falkenberg, we were commissioned by our partner MTA Bygg & Anläggning to design and manufacture the steel framework structure for the project. In conjunction with the existing biogas facility, a reloading station for combustible household waste is now being built, together with a pre-treatment plant for food waste. We are also laying roofing sheets and cladding the building with concrete plinths and sandwich panels. The building will cover just over 1,100 square metres and have an internal clearance of 7 metres. Naturally, we hope to get more projects of this type, which go hand in hand with EAB's sustainability approach.
Life on a STICK EAB supplies more than large warehouses and car showrooms. Sometimes we also undertake a few other projects. Here, for example, we've manufactured and installed the "stick” for the Formula 1 car that can be seen in Anderstorp along highway 27. Anyone passing through Gislaved will certainly have seen the big billboard that is reaching higher with EAB's ”stick”. Smålandia, Gislaved
From small to BIG In 2019, EAB delivered 107 projects to various parts of Sweden (the places marked in green on the map). Everything from our smallest project covering 48 sq.m. to the largest project for 32,400 sq.m. Highway 27, Anderstorp
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30 years
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EAB STORAGE EQUIPMENT
The pioneer Radioshuttle is 30 years old
TM
Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Optimisation are terms that are always relevant. At EAB, we were pioneers in this field and this year Radioshuttle™ celebrates 30 years.
The latest version, RS 6.0, is equipped with Wi-Fi and can be controlled by phone, but even the first model was ahead of its time. At the end of the 1980s, the idea of a robot to streamline warehouse management and optimise storage space was sown, and by 1990 the first model of the shuttle was on the market. We also developed a rack for the shuttle, which can be adapted to maximise efficiency and sustainability.
Christer Larsson, Product Developer at EAB ”With our extensive experience of pallet racking and warehouse management, we know that major benefits can be gained from optimising your warehouse. Companies with a cold storage warehouse quickly grasped the opportunities, since they have ongoing running costs for every cubic metre," says Christer Larsson, one of the brains behind Radioshuttle™. Radioshuttle™ was the first pallet management system on the market and as it was a completely
1990
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new handling principle in the logistics industry, it took a few years before it really took off. Between 1993 and 1994, the advantages of Radioshuttle™, which was initially called Maxipacker, became more apparent to more and more people.
”Since sales began, the shuttles have been lifting more than 70.000 pallets per hour across the world” From EAB to the other side of the world Exports soon got under way and in a short time the system was being used across the Nordic region and northern Europe. One of the first large export markets was New Zealand, on the other side of the world. Radioshuttle™ was originally developed from our drive-in racking system, which is another way of optimising storage area.
2020
The first shuttle was supplied to the Swedish Sugar Company, which is still one of EAB's loyal Radioshuttle™ customers.
All manufacturing in Smålandsstenar Production of the system is a real craft. All design, manufacture and development of the shuttle and its storage racks take place under our roof in Smålandsstenar, which is unusual in the industry. Here, material is bent and welded, sheet metal is cut, and mechanics, electronics and software are developed, and we also conduct final testing of the products. We also take home and service or upgrade shuttles already sold to customers. The models delivered today are retroactively compatible with systems
delivered over the last 15 years, making it easy to update older facilities. ”Our vision when we decided to invest in the shuttle was that if we could sell 5-10 shuttles a year, it wouldn't be too much of a crazy idea," says Christer, laughing. At the time of writing, the sixth generation of Radioshuttle, the RS 6.0, has sold more than 1.000 units, and, since sales begun, the shuttles have been lifting more than 70.000 pallets per hour across the world.
NEW! Control the shuttle via your smartphone with RSC - Radioshuttle Connect Radioshuttle™ was previously operated using the remote control supplied. But with our RSC, it is now possible to control it directly from a smartphone or tablet. All information shown on the shuttle's display can quite simply be seen on your smartphone or tablet's display, known as two-way communication. RSC can be installed in every new shuttle, but can also be retrofitted in existing systems. 25
”What a lift for the region!” Strong development since the opening of EAB Racketcenter Padel tennis has become the sport on everyone's lips and halls are popping up everywhere. Padel tennis is not really a new sport, since its rules and principles were established back in 1974. Padel tennis is played with two teams of two, with special padel bats and balls similar to tennis balls, on a court surrounded by glass or brick walls. A ball that hits the walls around the court after bouncing is still in play, like in squash, for example. Visitors from all over the region Mathias Claesson is the head trainer at Smålandsstenar TK, primarily for tennis, but he also runs padel tennis courses. He has been employed full-time by Smålandsstenar Tennis Club for almost 11 years, and thinks things have really taken off since EAB Racketcenter opened. ”The padel tennis hall has really added new momentum, and we've gained so many new players! Many tennis clubs have been concerned that 26
”Visitors are both girls and boys of all ages. It is particularly exciting that so many girls have come into the sport.”
padel tennis will take players away from tennis, but we find that none of the tennis players have stopped playing in favour of padel tennis. We've actually seen quite the opposite effect, which is that padel tennis players have also become interested in playing tennis. Since the opening in September 2019, the number of bookings has increased and today the padel tennis hall is virtually fully booked every week. Visitors come from all over the region, and even though there are several halls nearby, they're also fully booked. ”
Good future for padel tennis ”Visitors are both girls and boys of all ages. It's particularly exciting that so many girls have come into the sport. It's not unusual to come here and see 12 girls, i.e. the whole hall, playing at full pelt. It is so exciting that we're seeing new players in the hall every week.” Mathias believes there is a good future for padel tennis in Sweden. The sport has grown explosively during the past year and the Swedish Padel Tennis Federation has worked flat out on setting up competitions, training sessions and league games. This has meant that there are many exciting things going on right now. ”We're into the second round of league games here in Smålandsstenar. We have 24 teams competing in 6 different divisions, which is great!”
Get started with padel! •
You need four players, two in each team
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Scoring is the same as in tennis
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The lines on the court are only used when serving
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A serve can bounce off the glass wall, but if it bounces off the mesh it's a fault
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If the ball hits the opponents' wall directly, it counts as out. Before the ball can hit the opponents' wall, it must first bounce off the ground.
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You can hit the ball against your own glass wall to get it over to the opponents' half of the court
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You are not allowed to hit the ball into the mesh on your own side
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You can often rent bats and balls at the hall
Heard from visitors in the padel tennis hall Henrietta Roolf-Rehn Active padel tennis player, Broaryd "I started playing padel in November and think it's fantastic fun. It feels like a sport that suits everyone, and I got hooked right away. It's really great that you've invested in this here in Smålandsstenar!"
Filip Carlsson Project Engineer for storage equipment and die-hard padel tennis player "I've been active and played tennis for Smålandsstenar Tennis Club since I was 13. After EAB Racketcenter opened, I also got involved in padel and run women's padel courses. It's very exciting to get more women into the sport and it really seems to be appreciated. Padel tennis is a sport enjoyed by many people, regardless of age, who like to keep fit or who are active sports enthusiasts. Since EAB Racketcenter was built, it has created a good sense of community in the area - it involves a lot of people and is suitable for everyone what a bonus for the region!" Johanna Ohliw Newbie padel fan, Anderstorp "I have only played padel a few times, but I'm already hooked. Today I'm here with my family, but usually I play with my girlfriends. I really like that it's a sport I can play both with friends and my daughters, who are aged 11 and 14, and who always want to come along. Also, I'm really impressed by the premises, which are incredibly nice. Travelling here from Anderstorp is clearly worth it!"
Birgitta Trevik Active padel player, Smålandsstenar "I started playing padel when EAB Racketcenter opened and since then I've played twice a week with two different training groups. Interest in padel has grown massively. I like the proximity of Racketcenter, but you have to be on the ball when the times are released. Today we're also having a lesson on how we can develop our game further!
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On track with EAB
As per tradition, EAB took part in Vasaloppet 2020, this year with five teams. For the 9th year, we were able to follow our skiers along the track from Sälen to Mora. To be ready for the competition, preparations began well in advance. Back in late summer and autumn 2019, our brave skiers were already training by roller-skiing - just like skiing, but without the snow.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP BREATHING Many of the skiers train together and hold a "Tabata” session together in EAB's sports hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays to charge themselves and pep each other up. This is a set-up that creates good camaraderie and solidarity just before the race.
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EXPERTS GIVE TIPS To help us, we've brought in skier Henrik Alm from Gnosjö, to give us some worthwhile tips. During the week he works as a ski instructor and came 40th in last year's Vasaloppet, so he knows what he's talking about! A wax pro from SWIX has also visited us and taught us everything about waxing skis. He taught us about the various wax products available on the market and which ones were the best for all the skiers at EAB. When we visited Hestra Gloves in Hestra, we also found out everything about how the gloves, especially the skiing gloves, are made.
TIGHT BATTLE ON THE TRACKS Upon departure for Kläppen, where the whole team would be staying, there was a lot of happiness and anticipation ahead of the race. Once there, they recharged their batteries prior to Friday's trials. On Friday the first skiers were ready to start at 7:30 that morning in Sälen, the starting point. A misty morning quickly turned into a fantastic, crispy day. With good tracks and good speed, the five teams fought it out for 90 kilometres with handovers in Mångsbodarna, Evertsberg, Oxberg and Hökberg, until finally reaching the finishing line in Mora.
”Fast tracks and sun in mind the whole way” THE FINISH First over the finishing line was Stefan Höögs from Team 5, who together with his teammates Malin Candell, Niclas Svensson, Johan Tillberg and Martin Mårtensson took home the trophy with a time of 05:40:29. Close behind, with a gap of just 6 seconds, Team 4 crossed the line and only a few minutes later, Team 3, Team 1 and, finally, Team 2 skied home.
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”There's a huge amount of knowledge here” When Martin Johansson was deciding where to study, he opted for Jönköping University and Mechanical Engineering – product development and design. This is a high-ranking university, but this was not the main reason that he chose Jönköping.
”Everything from premises to staff and customer relations is highly valued.”
”I've been a competition rower for a long time and worked hard, so the main reason I moved to Jönköping was to be able to have a go for the national team. During that time I competed a lot and rowed, for instance, in the World Rowing Cup."
It began with work experience Martin is from Falkenberg and when it was time for work experience and his thesis, he wanted to be closer to the coast again. After hearing what his friends and acquaintances had to say, he decided that EAB sounded like a company that would fit his career goals and ambitions. Contact was made and in the spring of 2018 he took eight weeks' work experience in the storage equipment department. This placement led to a summer job and during the autumn he wrote his thesis here at EAB. As he approached the end of his thesis, he was offered a permanent position and since then
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he has been employed as a project engineer. Smålandsstenar is located some 70 kilometres from Falkenberg, but there was a lot that attracted Martin to EAB and still makes it well worth commuting. ”The commute takes one hour roughly, but I think it's nice to get this hour in the car. I pool with a colleague almost every day, which naturally makes it a bit easier. When I started, I felt right away that I could be really happy here. I really like my colleagues and working so close to the products we make, with the offices and production in the same building. The first thing that struck me when I started here was that things are kept in good order, and that everything from premises to staff and customer relations are highly valued.” Mats Carlsson is business area manager for Storage Equipment and is proud to have employed many students who have written their theses at EAB. ”We see it as a positive thing to be able to offer thesis opportunities to motivated students and, for us, this is a great opportunity to prepare them for future employment. Together, our project planners and the student produce a case that fulfils a function for us, as we believe it is much more fun to write about something that will fulfil a purpose in our day-to-day work. It's a win-win!” Finally, Martin, what tips do you have for those who want to write their theses at EAB? ”If you write your thesis at EAB, you'll gain so much, and not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical experience. There's a huge amount of knowledge in this building and it's fantastic to be part of it.”
”Creates an exceptionally good sense of community between staff from all the company's different departments”
Strong at work 16 years ago, EAB made a major investment in healthcare and built a gym and relaxation centre with sauna, which can be used by all employees and their families. This turned out well, and today, the gym is used frequently, both before work, during lunch breaks and in the afternoons and evenings. Every day, 1525 people train in the premises and numbers are growing all the time. Effective lunchtime training Stefan Kjellström is one of those who started training at lunchtime. ”I started lunchtime training about ten years ago. I'm a horse and forest farmer in my spare time and at that time also were to become a dad. I felt that the time after work wasn't enough. So I started high-performance training for half an hour at lunchtime instead. As people started talking about it, more and more came along, and the numbers haven't dwindled since. Since I have a background in sports, such as volleyball where you always train together, I think it's great that we've become a loyal group who train at the same time. I appreciate the social aspect almost as much as the training itself," says Stefan and laughs. Christoffer Lust, who is also a frequent visitor to the gym, is one of the devotees of the lunchtime training trend. ”I can say that interest in our premises has increased during the time that I've worked here. For one, you can visibly see more people in the
premises now than a few years ago. But secondly, we've noticed that suggestions for improvements have increased and this points towards an increased interest in using the premises," says Christoffer. The gym is well equipped with various weighttraining machines, exercise bikes, cross trainers, rowing machines, cable-cross and free weights. A lifting cage with safety rods is also available for various ski pole exercises, such as bench press, squat rack, deadlift and military press. The equipment was recently updated with additional bar-bells in several sizes, and a weight vest, and the ski pole machine was updated with new belts and handles to be more ski-like.
Creates a good sense of community In addition to the gym, there is also a small sports hall used for various sessions. Two days a week, Tabata is on the timetable, a high-intensity training session that takes place immediately after work. Badminton, floorball and table tennis are also played here, and sessions such as boxing are occasionally organised, for which they bring in external instructors. Several people use the premises as a basis for fitness training, such as running or roller skiing. ”The opportunity to train in this way is of really great benefit for us, and it also creates an excellent sense of community among staff from all the company's different departments," says Christoffer. 31
From 159 to 55.000 square metres EAB's journey began in a basement on Tegnérsgatan in Smålandsstenar. The first move was to a 159-sq.m. industrial site in the East Industrial Park, where we stayed until December 1988, on the completion of the new 17.000 sq.m.* in the best possible location along Nissastigen. The new address was Stålgatan 2 and has been EAB's heart ever since. EAB currently has 5,000 sq.m. of floorspace and spans 300 metres from north to south. * The green shading shows the original 17,000 sq.m.
STORAGE EQUIPMENT | DOORS | STEEL BUILDINGS 333 33 SMÅLANDSSTENAR, SWEDEN T E L + 4 6 3 7 1 - 3 4 0 0 0 | W W W. E A B . S E