In a factory in the picturesque town of Karlstad in south-west Sweden, the family-run firm Rollsroller perfected its design and manufacture of flatbed applicators back in 2011.
Just a couple of years into operation – now standing on the shoulders of a patented technology for sign making and print finishing – the company discovered the opportunity of teaming up with Business Sweden in Canada.
While Rollsroller was in a sweet spot for making the leap to international sales, it needed help along the way.
"We understood early on that to be successful with our business plan in North America, we needed to have a local presence. Business Sweden helped us weigh our options carefully and establish an entity in Toronto," says Christian Ogenvall, CEO at Rollsroller.
GEARING UP FOR US EXPANSION
Once Rollsroller’s business was up and running in Canada, a steady flow of orders started to come in from across the border.
Expansion into the US market was the big prize, Ogenvall points out, which again required local knowledge and assistance, this time from Business Sweden’s Chicago office.
"It was clear to us that American companies prefer to do business with other American companies. We felt obligated to set up an entity there too, which worked very smoothly thanks to Business Sweden’s support."
"The majority of our orders come from US customers, but we have warehousing operations and sales representation in both countries, so we are able to efficiently cover big geographical areas," Ogenvall adds.
FLEXIBLE SERVICES FROM ACCOUNTING TO BANKING
As a small and specialised Swedish manufacturer, Rollsroller had limited capacity to handle the day-to-day administrative tasks for its North American operations.
This is where Business Sweden’s tailored corporate services come into play around the world, helping Swedish companies with global growth ambitions to minimise risk and speed up time to market.
"Business Sweden assists us on a running basis mainly with accounting and banking, but also with occasional review of contracts. This gives us peace of mind and allows us to concentrate on developing our manufacturing and logistics capabilities," Ogenvall continues.
"We no longer feel that it is a challenge to navigate the administrative landscape in these countries."
ASIAN CUSTOMERS NEXT IN LINE
Having made a lasting impression with customers across Europe and North America, Rollsroller now has Asia-Pacific firmly in its sights. Here, Ogenvall explains, Chinese suppliers are the only real competitors in the field of flatbed lamination equipment.
Rollsroller currently delivers to Australia and New Zealand but was looking for a permanent base in the region. This prompted a new engagement and expansion talks with Business Sweden’s team in Bangkok, again with the idea of tapping into a range of services for administrative support.
Ogenvall says he is "more than pleased" with the collaboration overall.
"We have clearly saved a lot of time and money. You need both contacts and staff on the ground to succeed in new markets. For us, the alternative would have been to forget all about international expansion as the process is too risky.
"Thankfully, Business Sweden delivered a range of useful services that convinced us otherwise," he concludes.
ABOUT ROLLS ROLLER
Rollsroller AB is the leading manufacturer and supplier of products and services for flatbed applicators. The company’s proprietary ROLLSROLLER® Flatbed Applicator is recognised internationally for facilitating a technology shift in the sign and printing industry.
With headquarters and manufacturing in the town of Karlstad in south-west Sweden, Rollsroller currently has established sales in more than 70 countries.
