In 2008, LVD Lastvagnsdelar was merged into AxIndustries. The company was acquired from owner and MD Leif Bohlenius, who had been with the company since 1984. Leif first came into contact with AxIndustries in 2004, but it wouldbe another four years before he judged that the company was ripe for selling. The intervening years werespent structuring the business and organisation, whilst maintaining an ongoing dialogue with AxelJohnson International.
A serious buyer
LVD supplements and complements our assortment on the heavy duty vehicle side, adding an important future expansion area for AxIndustries, as well as healthy revenue. From LVD’s perspective, Axel Johnson International was the right choice.
“They seemed like a serious and professional company. I needed to think about my employees as well. I didn’t want to leave them in the hands of a venture capitalist who would sell the company after a few years. I was also planning to stay on myself, so it was important that our values coincided with the buyer’s.”
LVD was the typical entrepreneurially driven company; decentralised in both organisation and decision making, with a wealth of experienced and skilled people. Merging with a big group would have to imply some changes.
“I felt that Axel Johnson International dared to believe and invest in the entrepreneurs behind the company. I know that the motivation and energy that has built up LVD is based on this way of thinking. After all, it is all about retaining the joy of doing business,” Leif says.
Widest product range on the market
LVD has the widest and most complete range of truck parts on the after-sales market, with a network of about 300 suppliers and manufacturers of heavy vehicle components. The company has 79 employees in 8 different locations throughout Sweden.
Customers include independent workshops for heavy-duty vehicle spare parts and fleet operators with their own repair shops. Fast delivery, based on smooth functioning logistics, is a prerequisite in this industry. It’s all about delivering the right part in as short a time as possible. As an independent player, it’s all the more important to build trust and strong long-term relationships with customers by keeping ones’ promises.
“We import the spare parts directly from the manufacturers, which means that we can often provide the same parts as the original equipment suppliers, but in a shorter time and at a lower cost. We need to constantly improve, to always deliver at our best. I think our high service level is one of the reasons why AxIndustries were interested, in addition to our wide customer base,” Leif concludes.