We create workspace solutions that lead to prosperity and wellbeing
(something we’ve been doing for over 75 years)
+2,300
EMPLOYEES WITHIN KINNARPS GROUP
+200
Sales points
+40
COUNTRIES where we operate
3.8
BILLION SEK REVENUE IN 2015-16
BACK THEN IT ALL BEGAN WITH THIS LOVELY COUPLE
Meet our founders, Evy and Jarl Andersson.
Already back in 1942, whenever Jarl met with a client, he was sincerely interested to learn their individual needs, confident that his expertise would provide them with the perfect solution. Evy, with her keen eye for detail, saw to it that the work was always carried out with precision, and that all processes and materials were sustainable.
From their beginning 75 years ago to the present day, Jarl and Evy’s legacy lives on. With the same pioneering and compassionate spirit, we continue pushing the boundaries on workspace solutions, always driven by our passion for full service, innovative solutions, ergonomy, sustainability, quality, beautiful design and state-of-the-art expertise.
1.
Full service
DOING IT ALL, AND DOING IT GREAT
We take responsibility for our entire supply chain - from production to the time it arrives with the customer. We can deliver and install over one hundred workstations, per customer, per day, which our delivery teams fit and install with minimal disruption. Orders within Europe are completed in four to six weeks. We also deliver worldwide. Every day, twenty-four fully loaded containers leave our factories to deliver workspace solutions designed for prosperity and wellbeing. Our optimized transportation system means we don’t use cardboard boxes. This allows us to load the products like a jigsaw puzzle, using recyclable blankets to protect goods and load up to 50% more products per container than is standard for the industry. Delivery routes are optimized using an advanced route planning system, which is linked to production. We’ve also invested in a modern fleet of eco-friendly vehicles to reduce our environmental impact. Since 2014 we’ve reduced emissions by 7%.
2.
Innovative solutions
DESIGNING THE WORKSPACES OF THE FUTURE
Look around you. Work is changing. Workspaces are changing. People are working from home or remotely. They have new tasks and new skills. Business requires workspace solutions that meet the need of a diverse range of employees. WIth our forward thinking spirit, our innovation and our creativity, we aim to create solutions that take our clients one step beyond what many thought was even possible.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR WORKSPACE SOLUTIONS?
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3.
Ergonomy
YOUR BODY - OUR CONCERN
We always have the wellbeing of employees in focus when we develop new products and workspace solutions. Ergonomics promotes holistic design. Physical, cognitive, social, organizational, environmental and other relevant factors are all taken into account when creating a product. We’re all different and everyone needs to find his or her own solutions for prosperity and wellbeing.
4.
Sustainability
THE BETTER EFFECT
We have a responsibility to safeguard our planet for future generations. This involves everything from the raw materials we use to the way we design and manufacture our products. Throughout our supply chain, we select sustainable solutions. By choosing sustainable solutions, we contribute to making life better both at your workspace and for our environment as a whole. We call it The Better Effect.
5.
Quality
A PROMISE OF QUALITY
A combination of our own test lab, vigorous production controls and international certifications guarantees a true promise of quality. Each piece of Kinnarps' manufacture bears a market-leading warranty and quality par excellance. We love moderns technology and use it accordingly, but we also love the magic of human craftsmanship. When combined, we get beautiful products with both design and durability that can stand the test of time.
6.
Beautiful design
WITH LOVE FROM SCANDINAVIA
Our natural heritage derives from the Scandinavian design tradition. On top of that, we’ve infused it with international influences, and applied Kinnarps’ philosophy. This unique blend is what makes that unique feeling the first time you touch one of our products. It feels as though it was made for you. The right ergonomics. The right form and function. A product of passion and experience, brought to life from our in-depth knowledge of craftsmanship.
7.
Expertise
MAKING LIFE EASIER
Kinnarps employees are what Kinnarps is all about. We aim for the very best in all we do, and that includes hiring tip-top individuals. With a wide range of bright, creative minds, we create services, tools and concepts that improve efficiency, both within our operations and for our clients. In addition to all the great forces working in-house, we also call upon a network of external specialists when specific challenges arrive. By getting the right person for each and every task, life is made easier for everyone.
Is there anything our experts can help you with?
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1940's
Evy & Jarl get going
Evy and Jarl Andersson founded Kinnarps in 1942, with two employees on their team. Initially furniture was made to order, primarily for architects. In 1943 Kinnarps started to deliver tambour cabinets to the Swedish government, and three years later the company signed its first contract with the government. Since then Kinnarps has been a loyal supplier of workspace solutions for the public sector.
1950's
Becoming Kinnarps as we know it
Kinnarps invested in its first complete range of office furniture, producing the first catalogue in 1952. Completion of the new factory gave Kinnarps the space it needed to expand it's production of chairs. In 1959 Kinnarps started to deliver the furniture with its own furniture truck and assemble the furniture at the customer's office ensuring quality all the way to the customer. By wrapping the products in reusable blankets instead of one-off packageing, waste was redused and more products could be loaded in the van.
1960's
Bigger staff and first showroom
In the early 1960s, there were 34 Kinnarps’ employees on the books, and annual turnover broke the SEK two million mark. In 1968 the company opened its first showroom in Stockholm. During the 1960s, product assortment increased and Kinnarps launched order-directed production.
1970's
Going international
Henry Jarlsson, Evy and Jarl’s oldest son, assumed the role of CEO in 1973. Kinnarps went on to launch in London in 1974, establishing itself in the export market. In 1977 Kinnarps bought a briquette press for wood waste. The briquettes reduced the use of heating oil and made use of the inevitable wood waste from the factory.
1980's
A wider product range
In the mid-1980s the company decided to invest in a new and comprehensive range of furniture. Soft seating and conference furniture were added to the Kinnarps’ standard offering. During this decade, Kinnarps purchased the supplier Granstrands and invested in a new factory in Skillingaryd in south-central Sweden. Kinnarps launched a solvent free UV lacquer (1980) to be able to offer hard, durable surfaces without damaging the environment. Since 1980, we have decreased our emissions by 90% by placing eco innovation at the center of our business model.
1990's
Certificates & responsibility
In 1991, Kinnarps developed and produced the first electrically adjustable table, which offered alternative positions for deskwork. Kinnarps becomes the first furniture manufacturer in Sweden to receive Quality Management System certification ISO 9001 in 1993. In 1997 the company’s environment management system receives ISO 14001 certification. Kinnarps also joined the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) the same year. The company worked with supplier Reiners throughout the 1990s, and in late 1999 Reiners joined the Kinnarps group.
2000's
Winning awards & acquiring companies
At the start of the new century, Kinnarps won two awards: the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame Award and the Competence Company of the Year in Sweden. The company established itself in several new markets, as well as acquiring design furniture companies Klaessons, Materia and Skandiform. In 2007, Kinnarps launched four new product series, constituting the biggest launch ever in the company’s history.
Today
Europe's leading workspace company
The Kinnarps Group has around 2,300 employees across Europe. Kinnarps offers furniture for all types of workplaces: from open-plan offices, executive offices and cellular groups to conference, training and meeting rooms, cafés and restaurants, reception and breakout areas, and quiet spaces. Today, we have a team that works exclusively with future based research and development. Their mission is to create the technology for the workspaces of the future. In a nutshell, Kinnarps provides interior workspace solutions for offices and public environments.
The Kinnarps museum
Step into the world of Evy and Jarl and the Kinnarps of 1942. Experience how they did things back then, see what technology they had at their hands and what workspace furniture they accomplished with it. This is where it all started!
The Kinnarps HQ showroom
Step into the future of workspace solutions. Our showroom in Kinnarp is not only for show, it's also our own workspace. This is where we try out new ideas and live with them to experience and measure their effects over time. Here is where it all begins!
Would you like to visit us in Kinnarp for a tour?
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Here to help.
From start to finish.
Looking for a specific product? Interested in customising a solution to meet your individual needs? Or simply intrigued to learn more about what we have on offer? Get in touch - we are here for you.
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