Trust transparency. Trust glass!
Interview with Roger Persson, CEO of Ryds Glas AB
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In Sweden, Ryds Glas is a widely acclaimed brand. The company is synonymous with glass – glass in different varieties used for diverse purposes. According to Roger Persson, who has been the company’s CEO since 2016, there are around 50 different types of glass. “There are various types of glass used in construction for specific purposes,” states Mr. Persson.
“Our core business is installing glass not in new buildings, but mostly when renovating. We work in all areas except cars and do not realize projects valuated at more than ten million SEK.”
Ryds Glas is a big name in Sweden. The company was founded in 1947 in the north of the country. The second generation of the Ryds family expanded activities by placing the focus on the whole of Sweden. Over time, two brothers successfully built up a competence network and strengthened the company’s competitiveness. Today, the third generation runs the company – with outstanding success as the figures illustrate. Ryds Glas has 450 employees, a market share in Sweden of almost 20% – in a nutshell, Ryds Glas is by some distance Sweden’s number-one market player.
“We basically sell glass,” sums up Mr. Persson. “We do not focus on standard solutions but on individual and specific solutions. Sometimes glass needs to insulate, sometimes it needs to meet strict safety standards, sometimes it needs to be tinted. Glass is able to satisfy the most diverse needs. We clearly define those needs and work out solutions.”
Thanks to its expertise and know-how, Ryds Glas supports customers in finding the best glass for their specific requirements. The company knows the market and its standards extremely well and offers competent advice when it comes to perfect glass for indoor and outdoor use. “We carefully listen to find out what kind of glass is needed,” says Mr. Persson. “Is it glass for a standard window, double glazing or maybe thermal insulation glass? It always depends.”
Customers benefitting from Ryds Glas’s competence are mostly insurance, facility management or construction companies, public authorities and municipalities. 80% of sales are made up by B2B customers, 20% by end consumers.
“Ryds Glas is a brand that has been building trust and confidence among customers,” states Mr. Persson. “The brand is renowned for commitment and customer orientation, and many customers approach us directly. However, we have a strong sales team that regularly visits customers to provide information according to new laws or updates. Engaging with customers and improving customer experience is extremely important. In addition, we put great emphasis on good relationships with architects and share information.”
Personal contacts are pivotal. Nonetheless, Ryds Glas uses social media channels to get in touch with existing and potential customers. The Swedish company has always been open to new, innovative technologies and invested in digitization at a very early stage.
Our brand has won the trust of many loyal customers. Roger PerssonCEO
“Our market may seem a bit old fashioned,” adds Mr. Persson. “However, we always saw the great potential of innovative technologies and did not want to miss out on the digital future. Today, all processes within the company are digital. All employees have iPads, and all reports, orders, projects, simply all content is digitally stored and can easily be tracked, which ensures outstanding transparency. In addition, all our vehicles are digitally connected. This way, we always know where they are.”
Ryds Glas is keen to continue its dynamic development and is optimistic about future growth. “The market is still growing,” says Mr. Persson. “While the building industry is slightly static at the moment, there are many interesting renovation projects. Highly energy-efficient glass can increase rents. Furthermore, thanks to our size, we are an interesting partner for many insurance companies as we cover the whole of Sweden. We benefit from better purchasing conditions, which we pass on to customers. There are many reasons why we are looking at a bright future.”
Ryds Glas will increase revenues from 600 million SEK to 1.2 billion SEK over the next five years. “The market still offers great opportunities, and we are keen to seize them,” Mr. Persson underlines. “We always look at the big picture and do not reduce success to mere figures. At the end of the day, it is all about happy employees and customers. The well-being of employees and a strict customer orientation will be guiding principles in the future.”
