From cars to machines

Photo Mats Engfors/Fotographic

From zero to 100 in twelve years. This is what Hansén Bil & Maskin’s growth journey looks like. No wonder Mattias Hansén won double prizes at the Business Gala.

When Mattias Hansén started the company 18 years ago, it was to import cars and motorcycles. But both the company and life took a different turn. The business deal got worse when the SEK weakened against the Euro.

– Then we got twins so it did not feel good to be away as much as I did. So he instead bought his first excavator in 2006 and quickly got a good spin on the business and a lot of work. He chose to invest in the excavation business, bought another machine and hired one person.

– He still works today. And then it just rolled on. Today, Hansén Bil & Maskin deals with contracting and transport and has around 100 employees and almost as many machines, with jobs from Kiruna to Stockholm.

– I have a burning interest in machines. I am a farm boy, grew up on a farm, the neighbor had a farm and my father has been a machinist all his life. One has given the other.

Builds new premises

Right now they are building a new premises of 700 square meters at Tuvåkra in Luleå to garage, service and maintain vehicles. According to Mattias, when the new building is completed in early January, it will provide financial benefits, they will be in place for the jobs more quickly and it will also be better for the staff who can drive a car instead of a truck from Boden.

– There is an environmental aspect to it as well, to avoid commuting with heavy vehicles.

Entrepreneur of the Year

Earlier this year, Mattias was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Business Gala and the company became the Growth Company of the Year for the second time.

– It was a bit unexpected. It is probably that we work purposefully and hard and make the right decisions most of the time, which means that we have good profitability and a stable company. Here, the main asset is the staff, according to Mattias.

– It is thanks to the fact that I have managed to surround myself with talented employees that the company has done well. These are services that people perform with machines so it is a craft. It is extremely important to have the right people in the right places.

Looking brightly at the future

There is always a lot of work going on here. The largest projects right now are the battery factory in Skellefteå, the wind farm in Fredrika, the Eastern link in Luleå and the expansion of Boden Business Park. In addition, there are permanent agreements with the municipalities in Boden, Piteå and Luleå. Inquiries are raining in and this summer there has been more work than ever, now Mattias even has to say no sometimes. But for him, it is important that the company grows and that the entire organization keeps up.

– The year has been good. We are increasing our turnover, the profit is not known until the end of the year, but it looks good. From a corporate point of view, things have gone well. We are satisfied and have a bright future, says Mattias.
In his role as founder, owner and CEO of the company, Mattias sits a lot in meetings, is counting on prices and he still drives a little machine himself.

– It’s not particularly smart really but it’s a bit like a way for me to wind down. When I concentrate on what I am doing and disconnect from the hundreds of worries that you always struggle with. #

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