The key to success is commitment, new talents and a long drive.
There may be significant variation among the different companies within the Danir Group. However, many of them testify to a spirit where familiarity, passion, and drive are common denominators. And when you meet Andreas Holmgren at Sigma Industry South, who, despite his relatively young age, was already present during the Epsilon days, you get an even clearer picture of a shared Danir spirit.
It was the familiar feel and the way in which employees were viewed that brought Andreas back to the Danir Group after a few years away, working as a consultant for companies such as Tetra Pak, Volvo Powertrain, Axis, and Alfa Laval.
“I had good experiences with Danir. I liked the simplicity and family feel, the fact that the CEO knew everyone’s name despite having hundreds of employees. That feeling of togetherness that existed at Epsilon gradually disappeared when the company left the Danir Group, and that was when I felt I wanted to regain that feeling, which led me to move to Sigma Industry South in 2016,” Andreas says of his early experiences with Danir.
Andreas’ path to his current position has not been entirely straightforward or obvious. No one in Andreas’ family was particularly interested in technology, and there were no engineers in his immediate surroundings while growing up. His main interest during his youth was golf, where he turned out to be quite a talent. This led him to attend a golf-oriented upper secondary school with a focus on natural sciences. After secondary school, he completed a year of military service, during which he developed an interest in further studies, eventually choosing the engineering programme at LTH. A gap year filled with various warehouse and delivery jobs alongside advanced mathematics studies secured his place at LTH.
“The choice of the programme was because it offered a rather broad education, and I found product development exciting,” Andreas says about his choice of study.
During his third year of study, Andreas was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, something most would consider more than just a small bump in the road. But not Andreas. He was hospitalised for a week, decided to face the challenge, and continued his studies at the same pace as before. When Andreas graduated with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, specialising in product development and solid mechanics, he did so without having failed a single exam.
When Andreas started at Epsilon in 2011, he worked as a design engineer and held this role until 2017. A year after joining Sigma Industry South, he was asked to start, lead, and build a new mechanics department in Lund.
“I enjoyed working as a design engineer, but leading a group of employees and consultants suits me even better. I like the pace and the constant opportunity to encourage the group to take on new challenges and develop the products we can offer to our clients,” Andreas says about his leadership role.
I like the pace and the constant opportunity to encourage the group to take on new challenges and develop the products we can offer to our clients.
– Andreas Holmgren
When Andreas joined Sigma Industry South in 2016 and became part of the Danir Group again, Sigma Industry South had around 100 employees and seven departments. Today, the number is approaching 400 employees across 21 departments, and it is unlikely to stop there. The familial aspect remains a large part of the culture, and Andreas values the fact that the CEO knows everyone’s name, making the employees feel seen and heard. This characterises Andreas’ workplace, where everyone can and wants to have a voice. If someone wants to initiate a new project, business area, or something similar, it is wholeheartedly supported by the management.
“I think I’m a good judge of character, and I get along with everyone easily. I’ve often been told that I’m a good listener and an understanding manager, which is heartwarming,” Andreas says about his leadership style.
“But it’s also important to set clear boundaries and be explicit about what is expected from the team. Even though I find it easy to get along and socialise, it’s still important to remember to be a manager and not a friend, as this could complicate matters,” Andreas continues.
Andreas spends many hours at the office, which suits him well because he likes a fast pace. This is also reflected in his free time. Andreas is very focused on his family, with his two children involved in many activities that he enjoys engaging in.
“My family consists of my wife and our two children, a nine-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter. Much of my spare time is devoted to the children. There are activities like football, tennis, swimming, golf, and dance almost every day,” Andreas says about his family’s busy schedule.
Andreas is a person who likes to get involved and is good at getting things done. When he’s not on the golf course he can be found embarking on a renovation project or building a greenhouse at home. This strength in execution, improvement and development is something he also brings to the job, where he is equally driven when it comes to developing his group and the entire company.
“You can always make things better; there’s room for improvement everywhere if you have the courage to question and evaluate even what works,” Andreas says about his desire to improve and move forward.
Over the past three years, Andreas has led a recruitment project called “Växtkraft.” It’s a successful way of recruiting, by hiring engineers who have just graduated. They spend two weeks after the summer repeating the parts of their training that will be most useful for their first assignments.
“Växtkraft is an important part of me, and I can talk long and well about the benefits it brings to us as a company. I am also very proud of how these young engineers grow and develop with us. With Växtkraft, we provide a nursery that contributes to the entire industry,” Andreas says about their successful way of taking care of newly graduated engineers.
When asked about the future, Andreas emphasises the importance of preserving the good, family-like spirit that defines the company culture, building on what he sees as a common denominator for many Danir companies: security, long-term thinking, and generosity towards employees. At the same time, maintaining the inspiring feeling that anything is possible and getting support and trust from the management when an idea is to be realised or improved.
This is the spirit Andreas carries with him as he “tees up” and looks forward. With the right spirit, the drive is long, straight, and brings you closer to the goal.
Subsidiary group
Sigma Industry South
Sigma Industry South offers technical consulting services in production and product development to companies in various…