The history of Gislaved Folie

Gislaved Folie AB, like Gislaved Gummi AB, grew out of Svenska Gummifabriks AB, a company founded by brothers Carl and Wilhelm Gislow in 1893. The brothers started making rubber products such as bicycle inner tubes, gaskets and galoshes in the premises that we now know as Gislaved Industrial Museum. When one of the brothers died, the company was purchased by Kooperativa Förbundet (KF, the Swedish Co-Operative Union).

In 1944, a Stockholm company asked Swedish rubber companies if they were interested in processing PVC, which at the time was a new and relatively unknown material. The reason was that the rubber industry used production machinery that could also be suitable for producing plastic foils. Some enterprising pioneers at Svenska Gummifabriks AB, then owned by KF, saw the opportunity to extend the product range to include the new PVC material, and developed a manufacturing process that enabled the first PVC film to be produced in Gislaved in December 1945.

Over the next 50 years the company continued to grow, and the name Svenska Gummifabriks AB was simplified to Gislaved AB. More calendaring machines were installed, and embossing calendars and printing machines were purchased. The product range continued to expand, including foils for coating sheet metal for the interiors of ships and oil rigs, foils for coating chipboard for items such as furniture, kitchen doors and car dashboards, and foils for surgical instruments.

In 1989, Gislaved Folie AB was formed from the plastics division of Gislaved AB. The new company had good access to modern and effective production machinery as well as a skilled and experienced workforce. The decor team was successful in finding new markets around the world. They established contacts with world-changing shipping companies and were contracted to supply flame-retardant PVC foil and wall claddings for cruise ships.

In 2003, Stena Adactum, a Swedish investment company, acquired 100% of Gislaved Folie AB. But after just four years as owner, Stena Adactum decided to sell Gislaved Folie to the German company Surteco AG, which still owns Gislaved Folie today.

PET foils for the furniture industry were introduced, along with marine vessel interiors, super-matt surfaces for furniture, and antibacterial surfaces. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 the company began making protective aprons for use in healthcare.

And here we are today, with a vision to be the best producer of advanced foils in the world and offer the best possible service and flexibility in the segments of decor, weaving, industry and furniture.