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For many years, companies have moved production to Asia. Now Synsam Group is doing the opposite. The optical giant moves all its glasses production to Sweden and Ockelbo.
“I think more companies will do the same,” says Synsam CEO Håkan Lundstedt.
With 470 stores and a turnover of around SEK 4 billion, Synsam Group is the leading optical chain in the Nordic region.
You can today reveal that the company chooses to relocate eyewear production to Ockelbo in Gävleborg county.
“For us, this is a historic decision. We think it will be fantastic,” says Håkan Lundstedt, CEO of Synsam Group.
On Monday morning, he presented the new facility to Ockelbo city council politicians and city council. The new factory will have the capacity to produce one million glasses per year and will employ 150 people. The establishment means that Synsam will be Ockelbo’s largest private employer.
Made today Synsam’s own eyewear brands in Asia and then mainly in China. The decision to move production to Sweden is part of the company’s sustainability strategy.
“Synsam wants to work for a sustainable local production with the least possible number of short transports. The relocation of our eyewear production is an important next step in our efforts to help reduce our climate footprint, ”says Håkan Lundstedt.
He says the step is in line with growing customer awareness of environmental issues.
At the new facility, it will be possible to manufacture spectacle frames from recycled or local materials.
“We see the customer striving for more sustainable materials and alternatives and then we think this is an extremely exciting and important step. We have seen in surveys that customers demand locally produced glasses, “says Håkan Lundstedt.
For many years the trend has been in the opposite direction, with Swedish companies moving production to Asia to cut costs. According to Synsam’s calculations, production in Sweden will not be significantly more expensive than in Asia.
“We are building an efficient factory that can really meet the cost estimates that we have in other markets. Today we have our production dispersed, now we concentrate it. Scale provides efficiency, “says Håkan Lundstedt.
Synsam Group will invest SEK 250 million in the Ockelbo facility over three years. The plan is for it to go live next fall.
During the corona pandemic, many companies have started discussing the benefits of regional production chains. In Synsam’s case, sustainability issues were crucial. Regardless of the reason, Håkan Lundstedt believes that more companies will move production home from Asia.
“I think we are at the forefront of more industries,” he says.
Synsam will in recent years it has reversed a negative trend and made a profit of SEK 984 million in 2019. Since Håkan Lundstedt took over, the company has been one of the few retail companies to be considered a public candidate.
