“A little better every day” – Anders Hedlund reflects on his journey with Fumex

After three decades as the driving force behind Fumex’s growth, Anders Hedlund has now handed over the CEO role to Maria Lidström. But he is far from finished with the company he helped transform from a small local business with SEK 8 million in annual revenue into an international industry leader – while keeping both its headquarters and ownership firmly rooted in Skellefteå.

 

It is difficult to imagine Fumex without Anders Hedlund. But when he first stepped into his office in Skellefteå in the mid-1990s, it was not really about starting something new. It was about survival.

“Turnover was SEK 8 million the year before I joined. We were in the middle of the Swedish financial crisis. From day one, the challenge was to create growth and prove that the company was worth continuing to invest in,” he says.

Fumex traces its roots back to 1945, but it was in 1975 that the company took on the form it has today. Anders therefore took on a well-established industrial company, but one that needed new energy and renewed confidence in the future. He brought with him years of experience from the ventilation industry, as well as assignments in Algeria, Poland, Bulgaria and Vietnam. He understood early on what it meant to operate a company in an international market, and in the late 1990s he became a co-owner of the holding company together with business partner Per Lidström – ownership that has deliberately remained in Skellefteå throughout the company’s journey.

“We knew early on what we were good at and what kind of company we wanted to be. There has never been any doubt that we should remain in this niche, grow within it and keep getting better. But at the time, we were still a small company, and there was not much room for mistakes,” Anders says.

Product development has followed the same logic as the company’s development – no overnight revolutions, but steady and continuous progress.

“Fumex’s mantra, ‘a little better every day’, is not a PR slogan. It is a genuine operating principle that has influenced everything from product design to customer service since my first day. There has always been something we could improve. The opportunities have always been there – it is about recognizing them.”

In a highly competitive industry, Anders repeatedly returns to service when explaining what has truly set Fumex apart – and what continues to do so.

“We should always be available to our customers, and we build personal relationships that last for many years. In the past, we used to leave a binder with consultants, but we would always say: you do not really need to read it. If you need help, call us. It is an attitude, not a routine.”

Growth has been consistent, and since 1994 Fumex has continuously delivered positive results and increased revenue. Anders sees those figures as confirmation that the company’s fundamental principles work – and, above all, as a reflection of the commitment of its employees.

“At its core, Fumex is built by its people. It is us as a team who have brought the company to where it is today, and it is the team that will take the next step forward. I am proud to have been part of that development, to have seen opportunities and been able to turn them into reality together with others.”

Anders is not the kind of leader who builds hierarchies and processes for their own sake. His leadership philosophy is both simpler and, at the same time, more demanding: trust people. The culture he has sought to create is one where mistakes are allowed – not as something to strive for, but as something to learn from.

“In a small organization, you cannot spend your time keeping lists of where everyone should be. Freedom with responsibility is the principle. You have to dare to trust people and trust each other’s strengths. You cannot avoid doing something simply because it might go wrong. There are lessons to be learned from mistakes as well.”

Moving from CEO to Chairman of the Board has hardly reduced Anders’s drive, and he is clear about what he believes will be most important going forward: expertise and capacity.

“We have now completed the new building, which turned out very well and has a great view over the city. The next step is about adding resources, retaining our expertise and continuing to strengthen it. And implementation is what you want to be talking about – not just dreaming and planning. We are continuing to invest in modern technology, launching an app for our users and further expanding our market presence.”

Despite its international character, with customers and partnerships extending far beyond Sweden’s borders, Fumex remains at heart what it has always been: a local Skellefteå company, with its roots, decisions and people firmly based in the city. As Chairman of the Board, Anders now wants to serve as a source of support, institutional memory and a voice for the values that have made Fumex what it is today, while also helping to shape what comes next. And his motivation remains the same as it was 30 years ago.

“We should stay on the path we are already on and keep looking ahead. I am happy to carry the lantern and help lead the way, and as long as we continue to see opportunities and develop together, things will keep getting better – a little better every day.”