Åkerströms 1918–2021
For more than 100 years, we have developed products and services adapted to meet both current and future needs. We offer our customers control and safety in their workplace thanks to our safe, rugged remote control systems. We offer a wide range of products and services that includes a variety of transmitters, receivers and other equipment to create complete systems.
1918 – The company is founded by Anders Åkerström.
21 year old Anders Åkerström ran a small basement company
alongside his regular job as a power station
manager at Fänforsen mill and power
station in Björbo. Among other things, he designed the
first electric tiled stove inserts.
1925 – Anders Åkerström starts to sell radio sets.
In 1941, when the firm was registered, he opened an electrical appliances and radio shop in an older commercial building in Björbo. His daughter Gulli and sons Åke and Knut began working for the company.
1953 – The company moves to larger premises while expanding the business.
Åke began to design simpler electrical control systems for forestry. Forestry has always been important in the Björbo district and during winter in the 1950s, the delimbed timber started to be winched up to the logging roads. A motor driven winch was used at the road and the loggers pulled out a wire cable and attached it to the logs. Then they just had to trudge back to the winch and bring it on home…..
1958 – Wireless development begins.
This is when the first remote controlled winches were born. With a large metal box for the transmitter and battery on his back, the logger could start and stop the winch.
1961 – Experiments begin with remote control.
A spring based cable roller used to remotely control winches and cranes on forestry machinery was the embryo of today’s modern electronics company. The company now employed 10 people.
1965 – Production of remote control systems begins for overhead cranes, locomotives and boats.
In the same year, it was again time to relocate the business , this time to premises alongside the river bridge. But within 5 years, the space was again so crowded that the employees were practically sitting in each other’s laps. 1969 saw the launch of the first remote controlled door opening system.
1971 – Åkerströms becomes a limited company.
At the same time, the production of remote control systems expanded rapidly. In just 5-6 years, the number of employees had grown from 14 to 30. and the following year, the company had to move again. An old crispbread factory alongside the Fänforsen waterfalls on the Västerdal river in Nybyn, Björbo’s most westerly town, was renovated from top to bottom. The company now employed over 40 people.
1979 – Wireless data transmission.
In 1979, the company launched the wireless data transmission named Diracom.
1982 – Generation change as Jan Åkerström takes over the role of CEO from his father Åke.
In the following five years, development accelerated both in terms of the product and annual turnover. Sales quadrupled during this period. The company now employed over 60 people.
1995 – First remote system for locomotives.
Remote control was developed to control and marshal locomotives in railway yards.
2001 – The family firm is sold.
The family firm was sold to the industrial venture capital company BrainHeart Capital.
2004 – The business area for rugged truck mounted computers becomes a separate company.
Warehouse management for large wholesale customers was accurate and easy to use thanks to Åkerströms rugged truck mounted computers. A separate company for this business area was established under the name Åkerströms Trux AB.
2016 – The company is acquired by Allgon AB.
The company was owned by BrainHeart Capital between 2001 and 2008. Verdane Capital then took ownership from 2008 until 2016, when the company was acquired by Allgon AB.
2018 – Åkerströms celebrates 100 years of business.
The centenary was celebrated with pomp and circumstance for two days.
2020 – Launch of Access_Ctrl.
At Underhåll 2020, the Maintenance Trade Fair in Gothenburg, we introduced Access_Ctrl, our new business area for connected services in access management and production data logging.
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