Sjølund is one of the largest providers in the niche market for complex bent aluminium and steel components. At its headquarters in the Danish town of Sjølund and a production site in China, the company manufactures components that account for only a small proportion of customers’ material costs, but are often complex and relevant from a security perspective nevertheless. These components are always produced to meet the specific requirements of the individual customer and are distributed across the globe – also via a third location in the US. Sjølund also advises its customers on adapting products to reflect the manufacturing process (design for manufacturing). This approach has allowed the company to establish stable customer relationships and a strong market position. It generates ~60 per cent of its total revenues from the wind power industry, mainly with components for the nacelles of wind turbines. In the rail industry, Sjølund supplies train manufacturers with structural profiles and components for external cladding, for example for the front of the railcar, the window frames or the boarding area.

Megatrends such as the use of renewable energy, population growth and increasing urbanisation are drivers of Sjølund’s business. This should allow the company to achieve further growth and expand internationally – both through organic development and acquisitions: the aim is to expand the company’s business with existing customers in high-growth markets such as China and the US. The company also plans to achieve strategic development by restructuring its sales activities to focus more on the highly profitable building and transportation segments.

2018/2019 was marked by a difficult market environment across all segments with lower demand from customers. This decline in sales could be compensated by capacity reductions and implemented operational improvement measures leading to a constant profitability.

The initiation of a global sales strategy has led to a promising sales pipeline especially in the building and transportation segment. However, with lead times of up to five years, a swift market recovery is key in order to reach the targeted growth for 2020.