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SÖDERBERG & HAAK
Major changes secure the
future for Söderberg & Haak
Söderberg & Haak is active in the agricultural and construction machinery
trade. The company has its head office in Staffanstorp, but is represented
throughout Sweden. In 2023, Söderberg & Haak implemented changes to
strengthen its sales focus and profitability.
In May, Gustaf Thuresson took over as the new CEO of Söderberg
& Haak, immediately making his mark on the company. Gustaf
Thuresson has extensive experience in the machine industry and
began by implementing a major change management process. The
aim is to make the company more sales-oriented and as a result, the
agricultural division has reduced the number of its own facilities and
increased the number of dealers in Sweden. In construction, changes
have been made in the opposite direction by increasing the proportion
of the company’s own sales while continuing to cooperate with a
number of dealers around the country.
“The focus this year has been on implementing the change
management plan we decided on at the beginning of the year,” says
Gustaf Thuresson. “This has gone very well thanks to the high level of
commitment out in the organization. The drive and enthusiasm of our
staff have enabled the change management process to be realized in a
short period of time.”
FULL FOCUS ON AMAZONE AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY
Söderberg & Haak concluded its partnership with Deutz-Fahr, Dalbo
and Krone during the year. Nowadays, only agricultural products from
the machinery manufacturer Amazone are offered. With an intensified
focus on brand and broader representation throughout Sweden, it is
believed that sales of Amazone’s entire product range will increase in
the future. The range encompasses a wide range of products for tillage, projections for 2024 look more stable.
plant nutrition, seeding and plant protection tools.
“With Amazone products having better coverage across the country,
more people will have the opportunity to buy machines from us,” says
Gustaf Thuresson. “As it’s the only brand in our portfolio, our product down, resulting in stabilized projections for 2024. One advantage of the
team can put all their effort into offering our customers machines,
spare parts and first-class servicing.”
Despite a challenging year for farmers caused by a changing climate
and volatile prices, Söderberg & Haak noted a willingness to invest.
“Despite a challenging year, our customers chose to invest in
machines from Amazone,” says Gustaf Thuresson. “These are
expensive machines, but they increase efficiency and help save on
fertilizers and plant protection products. This makes the machines
highly desirable. The efficiency and savings have a positive impact on
both the environment and the economy.”
CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT
The majority of Söderberg & Haak’s operations are now in construction
machinery. The partnership with Komatsu was intensified during the
year, and a strategic five-year plan was drawn up jointly.
“We believe that an increased share of sales through our own
channels will give us further competitive advantages, especially in
the metropolitan regions,” says Gustaf Thuresson. “During the year, in
addition to more construction salespeople, we also hired additional key
account managers for both Komatsu and Bomag.”
On the construction side, the company’s customers have been
affected by cautious construction, higher interest rates and long lead
times for materials. This has affected the sales of smaller machines
usually used for this type of project.
“However, major infrastructure investments are not affected to the
same extent,” says Gustaf Thuresson. “This is why we’re not seeing
a decrease in the sales of larger machines. At the same time, both
Komatsu and Bomag are at the forefront in terms of efficiency, but also
in electrification, where they’ve presented a number of innovations that
have been well received by the market.”
CHALLENGING MARKET
During the year, Söderberg & Haak has focused on adapting the
Group to future conditions. During 2023 the company had net sales
of SEK 683 million, which is just below their target. Customers in the
two business divisions have been affected by external factors that
have made it difficult for them to invest in machinery. However, the
“At the end of the year, we saw that customers were still making
investments for the coming year,” says Gustaf Thuresson. “Moreover,
the uncertainty surrounding interest rates seems to have calmed
cautious market is that our suppliers have been able to catch up and
minimize their waiting times, enabling us to ensure that our customers
receive their machines on time.”
When Gustaf Thuresson looks back on the year and summarizes
his first year as CEO, he highlights an extensive change management
process that will take Söderberg & Haak to new levels.
“With the reorganization behind us and new targets in place, we
can now focus on the future,” he says. “We’ve laid new foundations in
2023 to increase sales and become the most cost-effective and agile
machine dealer in Sweden.”
Gustaf Thuresson, CEO
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