OUR HERITAGE
1804 - The story begins
The entrepreneur and builder Bergstrand established the oldest manufacturer of fiber board luggage in the world. Bergstrand started the business 1804 by building a paper mill at the very same place where the inhabitants each year celebrated the arrival of the spring (Valborsgmässafton). The business grew rapidly and by 1821 the company had one master, fourteen journeymen, two trainees and one ragpicker. Alstermo Bruk is the seventeenth oldest existing company in Sweden.
1890´s
Developing exclusive products
Mr Lundin become the first managing director of Alstermo Bruk. During the management of Lundin, the business expands, and the company also starts to manufacture shoes. Alstermo now produced paper (letter and book), luggage, leather items and shoes. In the end of 1890s Alstermo was rewarded prices for its products at exhibitions in Stockholm and in United States. At the world exhibition in Paris 1900, Alstermo was rewarded the gold medal for its modern products. Total volumes of paper were in 1900 about 470 tones and the company had about 30 workers.
Working force of Alstermo Bruk 1895
Expansion
Alstermo signs a contract with the Swedish Olympic committee and supplies special made for the Swedish Olympic team in 1954. Alstermo continues expand the travel section and in 1954 the famous “beauty box” is released. Alstermo is entering a collaboration with a Lagerfors Bruk and is developed a new technology for cutting fibreboard, the method was patent in 1960. The work force at the factory was at it peak in the sixties, employing over 200 persons.
Swedish athletes arriving for Olympic Games, London 1948
Automatic for the people
In 1973 the Swedish authorities demand the manufacturing of fibre board to more in accordance to the new environmental legislation. Due to this, the new product manager, makes a total refurnish of the current production plant, introduction fully automatic procedures. With a fully automatic machines, the production increases from current 9 tonnes to 36 tonnes per day and with half the number of operators. In 1980 the company yearly produced 10.000 tons of fibre board and supplied worldwide.
Alstermo Bruk in the seventies, beautiful situated in the Swedish forest.
2020
A NEW ERA
Today we are just as committed to create beautiful handcrafted products as our predecessors, celebrating old and proud traditions in a contemporary context.
216 years after Bergstrand founded the company, it has now transformed into a modern company, focusing on luggage with an uncompromising approach to craftsmanship and materials.
