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Ä LV S B Y H U S

Älvsbyhus gathering
strength while waiting for

the market to thaw

Interest rate hikes and recession – Älvsbyhus sums up a challenging
2024 with a sharp decline in the number of houses manufactured. But
the company has tenacity and extensive experience. After 80 years in

business, Älvsbyhus knows how to handle peaks and troughs.

All operators in the industry are experiencing the same thing. the house into two apartments of 85 and 43 square metres.
The market for single-family houses in the Nordics is almost at “This is a completely novel concept that focuses on the economic
a standstill. In Sweden only 4,500 single-family houses began
to be built in the market as a whole in 2024. Kent Johansson, CEO of aspects,” says Kent Johansson. “A person buys two properties for
Älvsbyhus, explains: the price of one and gains an extra income by renting out the second
apartment. If this is successful, we’ll probably develop further house
“It’s certainly been a challenging and difficult year – and everyone models based on a similar concept.”
in the industry is feeling it. It hasn’t been this bad since 1992 to 1993,
when the number of houses built in the industry went from 40,000 to Our employees are incredibly
3,000 in one year.” important to us. This is an

Älvsbyhus negotiated a short-term agreement solution with the investment we’re making to retain
Swedish Union of Forestry, Wood and Graphical Workers, Ledarna as many people as possible
(organization for managers in Sweden) and Unionen (private sector
white-collar trade union) in which their factory employees will work
80 percent of full time until summer 2025, but with a salary of 88
percent. In order to keep the factories alive and preserve jobs in both
Älvsbyn and Bjärnum, production was distributed evenly between the
two during the year.

“Our employees are incredibly important to us,” says Kent
Johansson. “This is an investment we’re making to retain as many
people as possible while waiting for the market to thaw. Hang in there
– better times are ahead.”

CELEBRATION OF 80 YEARS OF ÄLVSBYHUS STREAMLINING AHEAD OF 2025
Despite a challenging year, Älvsbyhus also had things to celebrate. The double interest rate cut at the end of the year bodes well for
The company turned 80. This was celebrated in ways including the Älvsbyhus, with the company hoping that the proposal to raise the
launch of the Villa Göran ‘anniversary house’, named after Kent maximum percentage of the property value that can be borrowed will
Johansson’s grandfather, co-founder of the family business. This is a also be approved. Until the market comes back to life, Älvsbyhus will
gablefront family-sized house adapted to the increasingly small plots continue to focus on cost efficiency.
becoming more common in the market.
“This applies to purchasing, for example, where we’re seeing more
“We built an entire Villa Göran at Stockholmsmässan exhibition suppliers start to lower their prices, but also to sales, including using
center – a large and comprehensive marketing effort that we believe AI to ensure more effective marketing,” says Kent Johansson. “Where
in,” says Kent Johansson. “It turned into a bit of a happening!” new ways of working are concerned, we tend to let others lead the
way through the deep snow and track where they’re heading, and
NEW PRODUCTS TO ACCOMMODATE THE MARKET then we follow. We’re not the first, but
Events such as the war in Ukraine and the US election affects both we’re not the last either,” he concludes.
interest rates and inflation in Sweden, and thus also the willingness
of Älvsbyhus customers to buy homes. But although the market has KENT JOHANSSON,
stalled, there is still high demand for houses – seven out of ten want to CEO
live in their own house. Älvsbyhus therefore developed the Maja ‘duo
house’ in 2024 – a single-storey house with a separating wall dividing

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