After almost 45 years of woodcraft, GH Snickerier is in the midst of a generational change. The solid finish, the details and the holistic approach are in the genes of Gustav and Stefan Holmgren.
Father Gunnar, who started the business in a basement at Teg, comes in two days a week to support the sons, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on how the work pressure looks like.
And in recent years, the work pressure has been fairly constant.
- We have a lot of work and we can see quite far ahead as well, the next three months, for example, are fully booked. It's been three strange years with pandemic and war causing it, but we're quick to adapt and we have fun projects. It's a good mix between challenging special projects and what gives volume, says Stefan.
- This year will probably be the best year in terms of turnover in 45 years. I think we've gotten better at charging for the work that we actually put in, and we can do that because people trust us to deliver, he adds.
Stefan's first salary slip from the family business is from 1986 and he was born in 1981 anyway.
- We had to come along early, at the time he had the workshop behind the garage so it was close. Now my daughters run here.
GH Snickerier has become an obvious partner for many restaurants and other public premises around Västerbotten, but the private market has grown and accounts for a large part. There, their creativity often gets a lot of space in conversation with the customer.
- I think it's fun to meet customers, I've done a lot of carpentry over the years but now I get to draw a lot. Gustav and I make the constructions together and discuss them. We have been trusted to deliver quite a lot that has been seen and made an impact, and this often results in new assignments. Gustav is good at taking nice pictures that we show on social media and that's how private customers find us, says Stefan.
We walk through the carpentry shop, which is now located outside on Västerslätt in Umeå, where the sound of the sawdust is constantly present as elevator music in the background. The old machine park has received competition from the new, more digital and data-driven one.
Gustav is almost always found at the far end of the new five-axis CNC machine that has taken the carpentry business to new levels – in theory it would be possible to make a soccer ball out of wood and carve something around the ball. Gustav is the one who learned to program.
A few meters away, the employee Hans sits servicing a planer that has been with him since the beginning. A solid piece that has been maintained over the years. Mostly by Hans, who has worked here for 35 years.
- We have chosen to keep the old machines so as not to lose those opportunities when the need arises. Unfortunately, that competence will soon disappear with him. The day Hans decides to retire, we won't be able to replace his skills, says Stefan and points to Hans.
- It is very worthwhile to have someone like Hans. If we have a problem, he locates it - and fixes it himself.
We make our way between massive table tops, fittings for elevator baskets and ventilation hatches for newly built houses and medicine cabinets for nursing homes.
- Here is Folkets hus stage floor, it is 200 square meters to be delivered this summer.
Stefan is also on the board of Träbransch Norr and has thus gotten to know many like-minded entrepreneurs around the county.
- It has resulted in great collaborations and contacts that I value very highly. For example, we have found Drömtrappor in Norsjö, with whom we have a collaboration where we make wardrobe spaces under the stairs that they sell to their customers. Now we were entrusted to redo their staff canteen which was to be delivered for their 100th anniversary. We had to draw it ourselves and it turned out really nice, he says.
Being able to collaborate openly and transparently is something that permeates the member companies in Träbransch Norr. Stefan thinks back to an episode in Norsjö when they were shown through Drömtrappor's production and Stefan asked a specific question about what kind of glue they used for curved stairs.
- It would have been easy to refer to a professional secret and let it stop there. Instead I heard "come with me here" and then I got the exact mix. How neat was that? Then you immediately felt that it clicked, he says.
Although there is a competitive situation between the wood and furniture companies, it is a healthy competition. Collaboration is the glue that holds the network together in Västerbotten.
- Everyone is united under the idea that it is better for the jobs up here than for them to disappear to the south or east, that's why they help each other. It works in many ways, I can call someone and get help if we have a lot to do - and likewise if we have little work. Everyone also knows that you count on the same job, but I have never experienced sour faces, on the contrary, you can rent out part of a project, says Stefan.
Västerbotten's wood industry can be found in all 15 municipalities where 80 percent of the companies have under 25 employees. At the same time, there are larger companies and that mix makes the meetings in Träbransch Norr particularly rewarding, says Stefan.
The board meetings are held at different companies and here we get to see each other's different operations, get good insight into the factories and how the people work there.
- It is often very eye-opening, it gives rise to thoughts about how to collaborate. It is always interesting to discuss and compare the businesses - because even though we are five people and Drömtrappor so many more, we have the same challenges in the industry, concludes Stefan.