OF Ekeri gets new CEO

On 1 April, Fredrick Gripenwarg, the former salesman and head of marketing at OF Ekeri, became CEO of the company. The company’s previous CEO, Claes Olsson, continues working at OF Ekeri as a salesman. The restructuring of the company’s leadership is a strategic move that’s been planned for a while and is now finally realised.

We had a brief chat with Fredrick about his new responsibilities at the company. In the article below, you can read about, among other things, Fredrick’s vision for OF Ekeri’s future and his hopes about Rögle BK’s chances in the Swedish Hockey League.

UNCOMPROMISINGLY FORWARDS

The new CEO of OF Ekeri confirms that he and the rest of the company are ready to face the future. The fuel is a strong desire to be number one in the industry.

– We have a fantastic product of outstanding quality, and it has influenced our approach to our business: we want to be number one in every field. We don’t want to just rely on a good product, and we’re not into doing things half-heartedly.

OF Ekeri isn’t some startup company that appeared overnight. Instead, it results from a series of focused long-term investments spanning decades. Fredrick highlights OF Ekeri’s experiences and gradual development as an asset for the company and its customers.

– For instance, when we chose to develop our after-sales department, we went all in. We made sure our customers got their spare parts quickly, and we worked determinedly to become nationwide before we started the next project.

This example describes how OF Ekeri has chosen to operate: forward without compromising quality or the customers’ expectations.

AN ACTIVE PART IN THE MODERN-DAY TRANSPORTS

Fredrick emphasises the importance of keeping up with the rising demands on sustainability and offering products compatible with everything from electric to gas-fueled trucks. He also notes that environmental awareness and digitalisation aren’t isolated phenomena but parts of a major transformation of the global transport industry.

– Right now, we can discern a new paradigm shift in the transport industry with all the emerging tech companies. It foreshadows a development with electric trucks, carefully placed hubs for logistics and freight flows meticulously calculated by computers.

It’s both geographically viable and strategically important for OF Ekeri to be an active participant in the development. Fredrick confirms they also possess the will and interest.

DIGITAL SALES CULTURE AND PERSONAL INTERACTION

It’s now obvious that digitalisation and the changing consumer habits will play a significant part in OF Ekeri’s future. Technological development has transformed peoples’ purchasing habits, and now we have a situation where companies must find new ways of maintaining a personal connection in a digital landscape.

Fredrick concludes that the human experience of what it means to be a living part of a vital transport industry hasn’t lost importance when buying, selling and renting transport vehicles.

– I’ve got mentors in the industry who think there won’t be any salesmen left in the industry in a couple of years. But, on the contrary, I believe the salespeople’s role will evolve, and it might even become more important than today.

Fredrick won’t be trading in practical expertise and personal customer relations for flashy and anonymous webshops.

– I will not put all my hope in our IT designer developing a good website. We need to be the best in both fields. Offering first-class service, digitally and in person, that’s the future!

WHAT ABOUT RÖGLE?

While Fredrick is settling into his new role as CEO, he is attentively following the quarter-finals of the Swedish hockey league, where Rögle BK is fighting for advancement.

– I’m a huge hockey fan, and I also have a background in the sports world. So, right now, I’m excited to see if Rögle has what it takes to win the gold.

One of the players in Rögle is the Ostrobothnian ace, Tony Sund, who plays defence.

– As importers and sellers of heavy transport vehicles from Ostrobothnia, we know that the Ostrobothnians know their stuff, says Fredrick.

With Fredrick Gripenwarg and Tony Sund in the lead, we can rest assured that OF Ekeri, Rögle BK, and the Scanian-Ostrobothnian relations have bright prospects for the future.