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

the lindab story

Business

sweden lindab

lindab safe

development1975 lindab

mark1984 lindab

rubber seals lindab

new land

construction new business

new product area diffusers