Ratos Company HL Display to acquire Akriform

2023-02-16

HL Display (HL) has signed an agreement to acquire Akriform Plast AB (Akriform), a producer of bulk bins and custom-made solutions for grocery retail and branded goods suppliers. The acquisition will strengthen HL’s leading position in Europe in the fast-growing segment of packaging-free merchandising and create a strong offer of custom-made solutions for customers in the Nordic markets.

Founded in 1980, Akriform has built a strong position as an expert in the production of bulk merchandising and custom-made solutions, providing high quality products to their customers. The company is based in Sollentuna, Sweden and has annual sales of 80 MSEK.

“HL Display's successful growth journey continues. The acquisition of Akriform is completely in line with Ratos' acquisition strategy where additional acquisitions in existing companies are an important part, and is another statement of strength in HL Display,” says Anders Slettengren, Chairman of the Board of HL Display and Executive Vice President, Ratos.

“Akriform has built an impressive reputation as a producer of custom-made retail solutions, thanks to a team of experts in design, development and production. The product portfolio is especially strong in the fast-growing segment of packaging-free merchandising where HL see increasing demand from both retailers, branded goods suppliers and shoppers across Europe. The merged product ranges will create a strong offer for our customers, supporting our position as the leading supplier of in-store communication and merchandising solutions for the grocery industry,” says Björn Borgman, CEO, HL Display. 

The acquisition will be completed on 1 March 2023.

About HL Display
HL is a global leader in in-store merchandising and communication solutions, helping customers to create a better shopping experience around the world. Founded in 1954, HL today is present in more than 70 countries and solutions can be found in 330,000 stores, supporting customers to grow sales, inspire shoppers, drive automation, and reduce waste. The three customer segments are retail food, branded good suppliers and non-food retail.

The HL Display Group has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and sales offices in 23 countries covering 39 markets as well as distribution partners covering the remaining markets globally. The five production facilities are located in Sweden, Poland, the UK and China and handle a variety of industrial processes, including plastics and metal fabrication, printing and assembly.The company has 1,100 employees and net sales of 1,900 MSEK. HL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the listed Swedish Business Group Ratos.

For more information, please contact:
Josefine Uppling, VP Communication, Ratos, +46 76 114 54 21
Björn Borgman, CEO, HL Display, +46 72 264 17 90

About Ratos
Ratos is a business group consisting of 16 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer and Industry. The companies have approximately SEK 32 billion in net sales (LTM). Our business concept is to own and develop companies that are or can become market leaders. We have a distinct corporate culture and strategy – everything we do is based on our core values: Simplicity, Speed in execution and It’s All About People. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas.