We visited a Swedish bed manufacturer called Hästens today, known for their blue-white pattered beds. First off, I couldn’t help noticing that the parking lot has some typical performance indicators. There is a helicopter parked right in front of the company to pick and return customers to the airport, the CEO parks his red sports-car right in front of the factory, while offering all sales employees a Mercedes to represent the company image. I am not materialistically challenged, but couldn’t help to wonder if these employees where overpaid. Does it makes sense to ask premium pricing for a bed produced in such an expensive country? How did this company grew so quick in five years? (€ 8 million turnover to € 42 million)
Jan Ryde (The CEO of Hästens) and Johanna Furulind, invited the four of us over to see the factory, when we initially met at the Jönköping Business school last month. (He gave a lecture within the scope of  family business examples)
Welcomed inside, we where surprised by a two hour grand tour through the factory, accompanied with a lunch. I couldn’t help noticing that all employees (handful out of 200) greeted us with a smile, while manufacturing all beds by hand! Unfortunately, we where not allowed to take pictures inside the factory… But most exciting part to see was to see the manufacture process of ‘the best bed in the world’ – the Vividus, a bed made of “virgin steel” coils and filled with hand-teased horsehair, cotton, and wool, for an astounding € 50.000!Â
you cannot test a bed in a store, Preferably sleep on it, or at least lie on it for 10 to 15 minutes, But if you have limited time, we encourage you to stress test it! Run towards and let yourself fall on the bed, ensuring that it would hold the weight, and jump on it if you prefer!
It was impressive to see the dedication and overall passion within the company. Today, Hästens is present in 22 countries worldwide, with the Netherlands, the United States and Finland the most important markets.
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