55 YEARS WITH GUNNARS TRÅD
There is a rich history of wire drawing in the Gnosjö countryside. In the late 19th century, there were over 100 drawing mills in the area.
With expertise in wire drawing and a spirit of enterprise in his blood, Gunnar Gustavsson started drawing wire in his garage back in 1960. Using a drawing bench he constructed himself, Gunnar began drawing wire in dimensions from three to six millimetres, while also assembling a machine to straighten and cut the wire. His very first customer is still with the company today.
Back in 1960 we delivered wire using our own vehicles, just as we do today.
By 1967 the garage had become too small, so the company’s first mill, spanning 600 m2, was built on the current site. Gradually expanding over time, the mill currently spans 11,000 m2. Sales were initially modest, as was the company’s workforce.
In 1980 turnover was MSEK 8.7, with 7 employees on the roster.
By 1990 turnover had climbed to MSEK 55, with 21 people employed at the Company.
In 1997, construction of a new factory got under way. One year on the new 8,500 m2 facility was complete, and Gunnars Tråd added flat wire to its range.
In 2000 turnover was MSEK 109, with 35 employees on the roster.
In 2006, the company began to manufacture rivets.
In 2009 Gunnars Tråd acquired Witreco, which allowed the company to boost capacity and add annealed wire to its range. That same year, Gunnars Tråd received the newly established Soliditet Diamond Award from Soliditet AB. Alongside companies such as H&M, IKEA, Atlas Copco and Nibe, Gunnars Tråd AB can lay claim to being one of Sweden’s best run companies, joining the exclusive group who have attained the highest tier of creditworthiness – AAA – 20 years consecutively. According to Soliditet AB, the likelihood of maintaining an AAA rating for 20 consecutive years is around 1.35%.
In 2015 turnover was MSEK 230, with 39 employees on the roster. GT Wire Group secured a majority stake in the dehumidifier manufacturer, Absodry.