50 years of dedication: teamwork underpins success

More than three decades of working with Siwertell dry bulk handling products and the company has shown me the depth of dedication of all our personnel and their wish to achieve the best solution for every customer; we never walk away from challenging situations, we fix any issues that our customers face, and work hard for resolutions. We keep our promises.

Since 1991, I have held three main positions within the company, starting as a project controller, then deputy finance director and finally my current role as finance director, which I have held since 2007, and was also appointed to deputy managing director in 2019. 

In addition to my enthusiasm for the job, and belief in the dry bulk handling products that we sell, I bring my analytical mind, attention to detail and drive to achieve a good outcome for all the tasks that I undertake.

Securing economic health

My most prominent company achievement is being part of the transactional team implementing and realizing the presentation of the Siwertell brand for its sale, and then subsequent ownership by JCE and merger with the Bruks brand. This resulted from parent companies, JCE Group AB in Sweden and Cargotec Corporation in Finland, forming the Bruks Siwertell Group, of which JCE Invest owns 52 percent and Cargotec the remainder. 

It was a long and challenging, but educational and interesting journey, and at the end of it took the Siwertell brand from being a small part of one group to a large part of another.

My responsibilities within the company are to maintain our financial health. We deliver tailormade dry bulk handling systems, bespoke builds for each operator, which make them naturally difficult to resell to another customer if the original ceases trading. From a financial perspective, it is very important that we secure the company by foreign exchange hedge, and have close control on contract terms in general, but especially in relation to payment terms, penalties, and security from the customer, such as documentary credits, to ensure that investments are paid for.

Sustainability impacts us all

As part of a wider team, we make the best decisions that we can to secure our economic success. But beyond this is our commitment to meeting all our sustainability targets, environmental, social and governance. Sustainability impacts us all, as a company and as individuals, and last, but far from least, impacts the Earth. 

Sustainability is a must for humanity to survive in the long run. Our ship unloading and ship loading technology will do what it can to continue to contribute to reducing pollution in dry bulk handling by ensuring enclosed conveying lines, eliminating material waste and spillage and minimizing dust emissions.

Our sustainability ambitions are underpinned by teamwork, working together, bringing out the best in each other’s capabilities; a ‘good’ team with relevant experience is one of the most important cornerstones for success.

Over the fifty years since Siwertell ship unloading technology was introduced to the market, a lot has changed. For example, screw-conveyor ship unloading technology has become the industry standard in China for dry bulk handling. This is an impressive achievement, particularly if you consider that it was first introduced by a small Swedish company in the 1970s, and, by 2024, is the benchmark for one of the largest countries in the world.

One of the reasons for this is the inherent efficiency and reliability of our products, but also of the company, and its long-term commitment to customers and adding value to their dry bulk operations and processes.

The past fifty years has also seen an increase in volumes and sizes of vessels in the dry bulk market, all demanding higher ship unloading and ship loading capacities to maintain or deliver increased levels of efficiency. 

Leading not following

Although we are celebrating our ship unloading legacy, we are also looking forward, supporting operators to increase the speed of vessel turnarounds in port, enabling the faster transportation of dry bulk cargoes such as foodstuffs and energy sources around the globe. Digitalization will add to our dry bulk handling capabilities, present new business opportunities and product concepts, and enable us to support customers remotely, in real-time.

We recognize that things are changing, but we are not resting, we need to continuously look ahead, develop and adjust our dry bulk handling equipment and service portfolios. Our aim is to lead not follow.

Siwertell technology leads the market, defining the pace and standard of dry bulk ship unloading development. The screw-type ship unloader has changed the standard unloading technology for many dry bulk materials and the name Siwertell is synonymous with the continuous screw-type unloader. 

My belief is that Siwertell technology will continue to pioneer the dry bulk handling industry and reduce climate impact through increased efficiency, the elimination of waste, and the reliability of products and services. I am proud to be a part of Siwertell technology’s story and I know that I am not alone; we are all proud of being a member of the fantastic Bruks Siwertell team.