EXPANDER EVOLVES FROM PIVOT SUPPLIER TO GLOBAL PIVOT EXPERT

Ribbon cutting at the inauguration ceremony by CEO Fredrik Meuller (left) and Divisional Director Expander Thomas Persson (right) at the expanded factory in Åtvidaberg, Sweden

Nord-Lock Group has made a large investment in its pivot business, Expander, to better serve the needs of its global customer base. The newly expanded facility in Åtvidaberg, Sweden, has increased by 130 percent to 3,500 m² - making room for modern manufacturing, a premium Technical Center, as well as high-volume order handling.   

Expander is the original solution for expanding pivot axles – supplying both First Fit and aftermarket. The innovative pivot solutions are installed directly into the existing machine mounting without the need for welding or line boring - and is a permanent solution to lug wear. The company’s production flow is completely digitized, enabling high quantities of customer-unique orders to leave the factory within 48 hours. Expander System has over 35 years of knowledge and experience as the original inventor of pivot pins with expanded sleeves. These pivot pioneers have now delivered over 1,5 million Expander Systems worldwide.  

“Taking our market leading position to the next level requires us to invest heavily in production to meet customer demands. Over the years we have continued to build on our ability to provide tailor made solutions quickly and efficiently – our R&D department designs over 3,000 new systems every year and our Webshop includes over 80,000 pivot positions for different machine makes and models,” says Thomas Persson, Director of Expander System.  

The factory expansion will allow Expander to increase its order volume by eight, and the new Pivot Performance Technical Center will further accelerate product development and support customer needs. The site will also become more sustainable due to the factory’s reduced energy consumption, improved worker environment and lower carbon footprint.   

Fredrik Meuller, CEO of Nord-Lock Group, says:  

“This unique Swedish innovation has had highly favorable sales development since joining Nord-Lock Group in 2016. We are now ready for the next chapter on its journey and the enlarged and upgraded Åtvidaberg facility enables us to make that happen, in a more efficient, safe, and sustainable manner. I am very proud of what we have achieved – to manage an investment of this magnitude, together with two other factory expansion projects in other parts of our Group, in the middle of the pandemic, is nothing but impressive and a sign of strength. Nord-Lock Group now enjoys a very solid operational platform from which we can continue our profitable growth development and offer a better service to our customers”. 

Expander evolves from pivot supplier to global pivot expert