References

Who are Niklas and Miche?

You could say that these two gentlemen are true veterans of the industry. They have both been working at MR for 15 and 20 years respectively, but have been in the business much longer than that. Niklas Jarmelid, CEO of MR, owned and worked with his own haulage company before taking over MR after his father and grandfather who started it in the 1960s. Michael "Miche" Adamsson came from the trailer industry where he has worked most of his active life.

What does the company MR look like?

MR currently has 20 employees, of which 3 are in the office and the remaining 17 in production, and the company had a turnover of almost SEK 30 million in 2023."Right now we have full capacity until the holidays and we usually get about 80 - 100 cars a year," says Niklas.They have nine sites to build on and do everything on site, including registration and inspection.

They work closely with Cargotec/HIAB - about 90% of the cars going through MR are via their flow.

How did it become Alf Pettersson AB?
"You deliver good quality and manufacture products that work." says Niklas.

The collaboration started back when Alf Pettersson AB packed products in the trunk of their own car and traveled with a printed map to the customer. Together we have developed many prototypes and products over the years.

Niklas and Miche at MR in Arboga. There is a full report on MR that you can read here.

Hi Even,
you work at Volvo Trucks Norway.
What is your role there?
I'm one of three regional sales managers here in Norway and we work together with our talented dealers around Norway with the world's best trucks. Then I'm also responsible for our demo cars and right now we have a very special and exciting concept car that we're showcasing around Norway.

Right! Volvo Norway has just relaunched a 35-year-old concept, why?
Back in 1987, when the Volvo Royal concept was first introduced, we felt with our customers that Volvo had the best product on the market and we have a bit of the same feeling now with the latest FH models.

How does it feel?
Great! Picking up our Royal concept with a metallic black cab, black leather interior, red painted frame, aluminium wheels, Catwalk duralumin on all tractors and specially designed Royal foil on the cab, feels very good. To then be able to apply that to a performance car that is class-leading with unique features that Volvo continues to be unique in offering, just as the F12 was in its day, feels extremely exciting.

Why did you choose Alf Petersson AB as your partner?
Whenit came to finding a supplier who could present a modern retro design, Markus and Alf at your company were very helpful. They found a nice balance between modern design and the right retro feel on the parts you manufacture i.e. Catwalk, cover plates and frame ends. Quality is also an important parameter that Alf Pettersson AB is really good at.

How many Royal cars will be produced this turn?
We'll probably end up with about 100 cars, I'd say, when the campaign ends this summer and we're very happy with that, given today's material prices and the world situation in general.

Finally
We at Alf Pettersson AB would like to thank you for your trust and wish you and all future Royal owners good luck with their new FH and FH16 cars.

See more pictures in the Volvo Royal Gallery below.

Hello Fredrik Olsby! What are you doing at JOAB in Stora Holm?
I am assembly manager here at Stora Holm and am very proud of our facility. As far as I know, we are completely alone in producing on the line. It works just fine. We have great capacity, can maintain short lead times and I feel that our customers have great confidence in our work.

You have a very nice facility
Thanks! It should be an experience to come here as a customer. We work hard for it and to be able to offer our employees such a fantastic working environment feels extra good. It's light, quiet and clean and working in teams makes employees see the elements more clearly.

How do you think about your suppliers?
We have been working with you for a long time now and we are making high demands, I can tell you. Sustainability is critical and it must be the right components at the right time. The assembly should be smooth and we always think ahead to simplify future service and repairs. It is important that we can develop products and working methods together with our suppliers. In this way, together we become even better at what we do.

Hi Öyvind, tell me about Norsk Scania Kongsvinger.
We are dealers of Scania but also build finished cars. We have 6 employees who specialize in bodybuilding and they build up to 200 cars a year. Since we work with premium cars, we're supposed to be a premium bodybuilder. It must be Scania-quality! 

I have worked as a foreman here for 13 years and now my job is to introduce a standardized way of working with bodybuilding at all 45 facilities in Norway. I'll make it possible to produce large volumes efficiently and then it must be easy to install. It must be Plug and Play. 

What is important to you when looking for suppliers?
Perhaps the most important thing is that we listen to each other. The supplier must be orderly and of high quality. There must be systems in place to deal with deviations so that together we can drive the improvement work forward. And so, of course, there must be mutual trust. 

How does it work with us do you think?
Our cooperation works well and you provide good support. It's easy to call you. When I have a car on the line, I want answers here and now and then it is always best to pick up the phone and call. Three days later, the car is on its way to... the mountains! 

Thanks Öyvind! 

Hi Kim Larsson, tell me what are you doing here at GEHAB?
I work as an order coordinator here at our facility in Alvesta. We are also located in Stockholm and Timmele and build about 140 customized trucks a year. No car is the same and flexibility is our great strength. Since it is often special construction, we have a well thought-out process that helps us work efficiently. We have come a long way in working with 5S and Lean which suits me, who loves order, just fine.

How do customer requirements evolve?
There will be more advanced electrification in our solutions. It's exciting and we have good electricians at every station. The customers' demands for high quality are perfect for us. There's a reason we call ourselves the GEHAB The Quality Bodybuilder!

How do you think about your suppliers?
Delivery times and price are important things. Also quality and warranty. It's got to hold. Communication is very important and we have a good relationship with you. If we are in a hurry, or need to solve things quick, we just pick up the phone to call, and we solve it straight away. haha, and to be able to chat about "this and that" in the process is what makes this a good relationship.

Hi David Norstedt, can you tell me about Blue Pac?
Blue Pac is our battery pack that replaces the traditional power take-off on, for example, crane cars and garbage trucks. By working with the diesel engine turned off, we can eliminate idling completely. We are investing heavily and feel that there is a very strong interest in the market.
Thanks to our cooperation with Alf Petterson AB, we can develop Blue Pac as ready-made modules. This makes it easy for our customers to install and select battery capacity.

Why should we invest in electrification?
After all, investing in electrification is to invest in the environment. Being able to work more quietly is an important factor for both the operator and the surrounding area. With Blue Pac, our customers can start working early in the morning or late at night in built-up areas as the truck becomes quieter. A truck without exhaust fumes also makes it possible to work indoors or in tunnels. That has not been possible before. And being able to save thousands of litres of diesel is also kind to your wallet.

How do our products help you?
Thanks to your solid design, apperance and quality, we have been able to eliminate an incredible number of risks.
We can easily integrate our control systems and electronics into the boxes. Should there be any trouble or if a customer needs specialization, you always set up. You are very committed and very competent problem solvers. My experience is that if you shop from Alf Pettersson AB you get not only one supplier, you get a long-term partner.

Volmax X design

Volmax is one of Norway's largest dealers of trucks from Volvo and Renault. They describe themselves as an experience center for customers of heavy vehicles with a focus on service, extension, damage center and training and counselling services.

Volmax delivers turnkey vehicles and saw great potential in a new tractor concept. Alf Pettersson AB got the chance to help and we put together a team, which with a focus on Volmax's wishes, developed a completely new product program.

In addition to a better-looking solution than the previous one, we have sought easier installation, lower building height and better access for service. As always, it has been important to add value to the product without increasing the cost.

Our Catwalks and side skirts is now a part of Volmax program of turnkey cars that go by the name X-Design. We thank you for your confidence and a very good cooperation.

Hello Mattias! Tell us about Alingsås Truck service:
We are based in Alingsås and perform contracting and lifting assignments using our four telehandlers. Most of the assignments are for the construction industry and we work with Peab, Skanska, NCC and Tommy Byggare. In addition, we also work with industry, municipalities and private individuals.

When I bought my first Merlo Telehandler, I was not so happy with the storage boxes you could order for them. They were not optimal for my needs so I opted out of them and started looking for other solutions instead.

How did you find us?
I knew you existed because I'd seen your boxes on a lot of trucks. They looked good and I thought if they work on trucks, they should work for me, right? Since I had seen the logo on the boxes, I went to the website and read on. It was that simple.

What is important to you when choosing storage solutions?
Quality and appearance, you have always been strong on that.

It turned out the way I thought. Good stuff.