Benders is the Swedish family business in the construction and civil engineering sector that continuously reinvests to develop. Innovative logistics solutions with sea transport and trains, as well as energy optimisation at production units, are some examples.
From the start in 1960, Benders has been manufacturing Swedish building products and now has around twenty production units around the country. With the aim of always being the local supplier.
In addition to manufacturing, transport - both raw materials and deliveries to customers, are a large part of Benders' business.
"As early as 2010, Benders began working with Sweden's largest rail operator for freight. By shifting goods from road to rail, CO2 emissions from transport have been reduced by just over 3100 tonnes in 2023 alone. This is 95% lower emissions compared to if the transports had been carried by truck," explains Mats Jakobsson, CEO of Benders Sverige AB.
The latest investment during the year is the acquisition of a logistics centre with rail tracks in Umeå. The goal is to use a train solution to replace long-haul lorry traffic to Norrland, thereby thoroughly strengthening market presence in this northern area.
Multi-million investment in maritime transport
In Uddevalla, at one of Benders' largest facilities with its own quay, four silos for cement and other concrete binders are in progress. The construction creates opportunities for large freight volumes that were previously transported by truck to now be delivered by ship. In addition, cement produced with the latest CCS technology can be more easily available in the future on the western Swedish market. In 2024, the ships have started to arrive, and the first deliveries are underway.
Energy optimisation at production units
In recent years, Benders has invested around SEK 45 million in measures aimed at improving energy consumption efficiency and phasing out fossil-intensive heating systems at production units. Among other things, LED lighting, air-to-air heat pumps have been installed and older compressors have been replaced.
"The company has also continued to replace oil with wood pellets, which is an ongoing work. As a result of the investments, the consumption of oil has been halved since 2017 and has resulted in a reduction in emissions of about 1500 tonnes of CO2 per year," concludes Mats.
Read more about Benders' sustainability work.
