- Business
- AB Traction (TRAC-B.ST) is a Sweden-based investment company that engages in the long-term development and active ownership of small- and medium-sized listed and unlisted companies across diverse sectors, alongside financial investments in equities, corporate bonds, and interest-bearing assets to generate attractive returns on capital; it specializes in turnaround projects, recapitalizations, buyouts, and underwriting equity offerings without industry focus. Founded in 1974 and headquartered at Birger Jarlsgatan 33 in Stockholm, the company maintains active listed holdings exceeding 10% ownership or with board representation, including BE Group (steel trading and services in Sweden and Finland), Drillcon (core drilling and raise boring in mining across Nordics, Iberia, and beyond), Diales (dispute management and project services in construction globally), Hifab Group (project management in property and infrastructure in Sweden and Finland), Nilörngruppen (branding, labels, and accessories for fashion with production in Europe and Asia), Portmeirion Group (tableware brands like Portmeirion and Spode sold in over 80 countries), and Softronic (IT and management consulting including anti-money laundering services in Sweden); unlisted holdings encompass wholly owned Ankarsrum Kitchen (Ankarsrum Assistent Original kitchen appliances sold in Nordics, US, Germany, and Europe), Sigicom (field measurement systems for environmental monitoring with operations in US, UK, France, Canada, and Nordics), Recco Holding (RECCO avalanche rescue systems in 900+ ski resorts across 32 countries), and minority stakes in Medino (UK online pharmacy), Tengai (AI recruitment software), and Brillianze (Transversor movement prevention technology). Operations target primarily Swedish and Nordic markets with international exposure through portfolio companies in Europe, US, Asia, and beyond, employing a lean team of three led by CEO Petter Stillstrom. Recent developments include organizational reinforcement in 2025 to accelerate transformations in active holdings; increased ownership in Portmeirion Group to over 15% as of March 2025 with new Chairman Peter Tracey; BE Group relocating Polish operations to Sweden/Finland and discontinuing Baltics for cost savings; Sigicom's complementary acquisition in Q4 2024; Hifab launching Advisory and Tech units, expanding offices, and management share purchases; leadership changes at Softronic and Drillcon; and Traction's purchase of additional BE Group shares in November 2025, alongside strong 2024 growth in unlisted holdings like Ankarsrum (44% revenue rise), Sigicom (23%), and Recco (48%).