In the heart of Sweden, nestled in a region rich with culture and heritage, lies Edsbyn—a company with a history dating back to 1899. Recently, InteriorDaily had the privilege of sitting down with Cecilia Sebesta, the newly appointed CEO of Edsbyn, to gain insights into the company's journey, its unique transition from ski production to furniture manufacturing, their recent participation at Stockholm Furniture Fair, and its future plans.
A rich history
Cecilia Sebesta, although a fresh face in the company, brings a wealth of experience to her role. 'I started on the first of February, so I've been here a little over a month,' she shares. 'It's been lovely so far. It's a very nice company, in a very nice area of Sweden. It has a rich history, starting in 1899. We're celebrating 125 years this year, so it's an honour to work at the company.'
Edsbyn's history is intertwined with the evolution of its products. From being renowned carpenters to producing skis from 1934 to 1984, the company's journey is marked by innovation and adaptation. 'They first made skis for the military, and then gradually went into consumer goods,' Cecilia explains. 'From the waste material in this production era, they started to make pinback chairs. Then in in 1955 the well-known Finnish architect Ilmari Tapiovaara came into the company and made some changes to the chair to create the iconic Fanett chair.' Cecilia showed the big red chair outside of the window of the company: 'We have the world's biggest Fanett chair standing outside of our factory! Edsbyn has sold over 5 million pieces of that chair and we're planning on maybe taking it back into the family, since we haven't produced it for a number of years now.'
The Fanett chair standing outside of the Edsbyn factory.
International designers
After its history in the ski production, Edsbyn has been focused on office furniture. 'We started working with renowned designers, such as Jens Fager and Andreas Engesvik who made upholstered products for us. Now, we also work with different Italian designers and in future maybe even more international designers. We're moving ahead with Edsbyn, with a new logo type that we showed at Stockholm Furniture Fair. We're very conscious of the fact that we want to show the heritage of the company. We're lucky with the culture of our region in Sweden, reflected in the colour scheme, the way we use wood and all kinds of different materials. Mixing this heritage with international designers is very exciting for us, so we look forward to doing this more in the future.'
Stockholm Furniture Fair
The company's commitment to blending its heritage with international influences is evident in its recent rebranding efforts showcased at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Italian designer Luca Nichetto created two popular pieces at the fair: the Eski and the Cup. 'The Eski rocking chair was created as an homage to Edsbyn's history. We weren't planning to add it to the collection, but it was really well received and we are investing in a new machinery, so we might even be able to put it into production. The Cup was also very much appreciated. A lot of people were taking photos drinking out of the cup. We even had a request from a coffee company that wanted to have it,' Cecilia says.
The Cup, by Luca Nichetto for Edsbyn.
'For us it was a fantastic fair. Some big competitors turned the fair down, which wasn't seen as a good gesture. But it meant we got more time with different clients. People took the time to have in depth conversations. It was a smaller fair, but it was very well curated: good attendance, high quality and well organised. Overall, I think it was a good one in tough times.'
Looking ahead
With a strong focus on product development and market expansion, Edsbyn is poised to uphold its legacy of craftsmanship and innovation in the years to come. As Cecilia aptly puts it, 'I'm very honoured to represent Edsbyn. Swedish manufacturers should be proud of themselves, I think. Sweden is a country to be proud of when it comes to furniture.' Despite navigating a challenging market, Edsbyn is positive about its presence in Scandinavia and plans to slowly expand further in Europe. 'We're all in a recession in Europe and it's hit the Swedish currency quite hard, because we're not tied to the Euro. But we're going to continue our course and launch the new products from the fair and get those out to the market. Hopefully we'll be tapping into some new markets this year as well.'
The Eski, by Luca Nichetto for Edsbyn.
More information:
Edsbyn
Sweden
+46 271-275 00
[email protected]
www.edsbyn.com