SWEX_Swep Exchange 2022

Easy ways to save energy at home Don’t leave lights on unnecessarily.

provide a wealth of ideas that both factories can benefit from.

What do you work with now? I am group leader in the All-stainless- steel cell, also often called the ‘pasta cell’. My aim is to grow this small team into a larger group, with a focus on a large selection of products that are in demand in the market. With Niclas Bornegård and Thomas Dahlberg from SWEP's Innovation Department at Research & Development and Lennie Liegnell from Engineering, nothing feels impossible. Thank you! How has SWEP changed over the years? We have grown so much and so incredibly fast over the years, the disadvantage of this has been that we barely had time to grow into our new roles before it was time to get promoted or learn new skills. But they are what we call ‘pleasant worries’. When the American Dover Corporation took over ownership, there was a concern that we would be top-down from the United States, but it turned out to be unjustified. We have experienced a company that grows and thrives and gives back to all employees in one way or another. What made you stay so long? SWEP has given me the best friends (you know who you are), lots of laughs and peace of mind in my everyday life. The management team has done great work when it comes to our safety and the support we receive when we or our families suffer from something unforeseen. I myself know of no other company that offers so much – whether it is a holiday or some other event to be celebrated. And the most important thing of all is that we have always been able to have a voice and an opinion.

What do you do when you are not working at SWEP? I travel as much as I can, hang out with my friends and I also work on my passion projects: home decor and my garden. The SWEP Innovation Award Program The purpose of the SWEP Innovation Award Program is to recognize individuals or teams who have done something significant to drive creativity and innovation which exceeds the expectations of their roles. This can be a product or service innovation, or an improvement in our functions or processes to increase efficiency in a sustainable way, as well as a development of a new market or channel for SWEP. To be recognized, the individual must also be role model for our SWEP Basic Beliefs. Gittan was one of the receivers of this years Innovation Award for inventing an effective and improved process that increased efficiency in a sustainable way. How did you feel when you received the award? Receiving the Innovation Award made me feel recognized and appreciated. I was very moved during the ceremony. It was a small-scale initiative, which I started a few years ago and has grown into part of our daily processes. n

answer that they might need our help at some point, the response I always got was: "Not a chance! Your company won’t last the rest of the year". In the end, many of them applied for jobs at SWEP when their companies were closed down. Despite poor finances and the lack of aids and protective equipment, we were a happy bunch who did our best when the trucks arrived and helped to get all the products ready so that they were delivered to customers on time. You always knew that the management’s goal was to grow and create a good workplace for everyone who worked there. I think that Nils- Gustaf Tobieson, SWEP's first CEO, created a spirit that lives on today. Have you had different roles at SWEP? If so, which ones? I have worked as an operator for all of my years at SWEP. My job has almost always been in the manual work and that has taken me to Slovakia about 20 times. The exchange between the factories is something I hope will develop even more, as I know from my own experience that they strengthen our ties to each other and

SWEP EXCHANGE 21