Long history of entrepreneurship

Ahlsell has a rich history with roots in several hundred companies. Behind all these companies there have been enterprising entrepreneurs who, just like us at Ahlsell, want to make it easier for customers to be professional. Together we have achieved great success in doing so, and it is our clear ambition to constantly improve!

Ahlsell's journey began in 1877, Stockholm, with the sales company John Bernström & Co, specialising in selling machines, pumps, and threshing machines. In 1922, the company merged with Ahlsell & Ahrens, a firm that sold various cast enamelled sanitary utensils from Husqvarna, Ankarsrum, and others, as well as pipes, fittings, and pumps.

After many acquisitions, Ahlsell & Ågren was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1964, including Ågren in 1962. The group's revenue was approximately MSEK 411, and staffing comprised 766 professionals. Ahlsell AB was born from the rebranding of the company in 1977, to celebrate the centenary.

In 1982, Ahlsell merged with AEG-Telefunken Elektriska AB, gaining a strategic place in electricals. The company was bought out of the stock exchange by Boliden AB in 1986, and Trelleborg AB took over Boliden. At that time, Ahlsell's business was well-diversified, embracing, among other things, wholesale, electronic manufacturing, and contracting operations.

Ahlsell's central warehouse in Hallsberg opened in XXXX, marking a significant milestone, followed by the high acquisition activity of the 199s. DIY distribution with the acquisition of Gelia moved them to a Finnish and Norwegian position within HVAC& plumbing. In 1997, the first online store of Ahlsell was launched. In 1999, Nordic Capital became the leading owner.

The early 2000s were a thrilling time for Ahlsell, with high acquisition rates, and Tibnor Industrivaruhus's acquisition resulted in an extra product segment for tools. Ahlsell succeeded in building powerful positions in both HVAC & plumbing and electrical in Norway through acquisitions. CVC acquired Ahlsell in 2012.

Ahlsell's market position was further strengthened by the construction of the world's most substantial automated warehouse in Hallsberg in 2011 and substantial investments in the e-commerce platform in 2015. Ahlsell celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2017 and continues to develop different service concepts, including Tryckt & Klart (workwear printing), Ahlsell Academy (competence development for customers), and Track n'Trace (delivery tracking).

In 2018, Ahlsell's net sales improved by 14%, though profitability did not advance at the same rate, leading to profitability-improving measures. Sustainability has become our comparative advantage at Ahlsell, and the e-commerce accounts for 28% of sales. glEnable in July decided to invest an additional MSEK 450 to ensure Ahlsell can continue delivering top-tier logistics.

Ahlsell AB began collaborating with the World Childhood Foundation in 2019, and CVC is now its principal owner, acquiring more than 90% of the company's outstanding shares.