A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
After his mother died, 16-year-old Anders Persson took over the responsibility for his father’s company in 1973. At the time, the plant was a workshop with a few employees.
Early on, Anders realized the potential of his father’s innovative concept, and quickly developed the company. Proximity to plate manufacturer Avesta Sheffield (Degerfors Steel Mill) paved the way for efficient plate processing.
EUROPE'S LARGEST METAL SHEAR
In 1982, Europe’s largest shear was introduced at Smidesbolaget in Degerfors. For the first time in Europe, plate strips up to 35 millimeters thick and 6.6 meters long can be cut. The whole thing was a bold investment: the SEK 6 million investment was twice the annual turnover in 1981. At today’s monetary value, this corresponds to approximately SEK 16.5 million.
The picture shows Anders Persson with the eleven-strong staff of the time. In 1988 he received the Möckeln Region’s business award.
ROUND TRIP THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
A family owned business enables making quick decisions. If you are convinced, decisions can be made and implemented immediately.
For example, Smidesbolaget in Degerfors was offered a big new press brake when the original customer could not pay the manufacturer. The machine, which was brand new, had been manufactured in Skellefteå, Sweden.
The thing was that the machine had almost reached the original customer, but now it was in the port of Vancouver, Canada, on the other side of the globe. The purchase decision was made in an hour, and the press brake was shipped back to Sweden and delivered to Degerfors, where it has since served the company well.
IT COMPANY IN THE 1980S
Interest in new technology led Anders Persson to be an early adopter of IT. Already in the early 1980s he started the IT company Josefson & Persson Programvaru AB, together with Margaretha Josefson.
IT CONSULTANTS WITH ONE FOOT IN MANUFACTURING
Founded in the early 2000s, Proplate IT rapidly expands to 25 employees in three locations. The unique thing about Proplate IT was its vast experience in industrial operations. The company offered qualified IT services to customers in the industry under the slogan “We are IT consultants with one foot in manufacturing”. In 2008, Proplate IT was acquired by Ångpanneföreningen ÅF.
Proplate IT is the basis for the logo that Proplate uses to day, consisting of the basic elements of computing – one and zero – which together form a P.