The history of Olsson Parts
If you ask Carl-Hugo Olsson, better known as Kaj, he will say has never done anything remarkable in his almost 92 years: “No, but I come from an old farming family, and I’m used to pitching in when necessary.”
The farm where it all started has been operating for generations, ever since the Treaty of Roskilde, and as an old farm boy, the notion of keeping things in order was instilled in Kaj right from the start:– You have to work and not be sloppy. And you have to be a little inventive.
Tractors have always been a natural part of Kaj’s life – hardly surprising when you live on a farm. And as an active member of the Young Farmers’ Association, he kept himself up to date in this area.
– At one meeting, I saw an image from America showing the first backhoe mounted on a tractor. This was in the mid-1940s and as youngsters we found it incredibly exciting, explains Kaj, and we can conclude that it was probably then and there that the first seed for what is now Olsson Parts was sown.
Kaj continued his studies at SLU Alnarp in Skåne, and by this time had already met Lilli, who would soon become his wife. He carried out work placements on several large farms, but tractors were still his main interest. Kaj eventually applied to Volvo’s tractor department that existed in Gothenburg at the time, and worked their as a salesperson for a number of years.
No backhoe loaders for Volvo
– I tried to introduce backhoe loaders into Volvo’s range, but never succeeded. I handed in my notice, acquired my own backhoe excavator and started my own business in the contracting sector instead, chuckles Kaj.The year was 1957, and Kaj’s company CH Olsson Entreprenad AB had a busy schedule. He divided his time between Gothenburg, where Lilly worked as a teacher, and the farm in Köperöd, near Ellös, where the company was based. Roads were built and plots were excavated, often far from home, and Kaj began to grow tired of being away from his family so much.
– My boys had arrived by this time, and I wanted to take things a little more easily. Instead, I started bringing in tractors from the UK to sell.
He imported the tractors through the port in Vallhamn, on the neighbouring island of Tjörn, which at that time, in the mid-1960s, had regular services across the North Sea. The start of the 1970s saw the introduction of the “cab act”, which put the mockers on the entire business.
– All of a sudden, all tractors had to have a cab, and I simply couldn’t get hold of them for the British tractors. So I build a workshop on the farm and focused on spare parts instead.
Was it possible to get the parts more cheaply?
In the UK there were companies that specialised on the aftersales market, and Kaj acquired a number of tips and contacts in that way. And as he had been repairing and fixing his tractors himself for many years, he knew what was needed.– But it was expensive to get original parts for the British tractor brands Ferguson and Fordson. I could see the difference when I visited England to buy directly from the manufacturers. Surely it would be possible to get hold of them more cheaply...?
And it was. More people were employed and the business grew. The move took place in 1981. In 1988, the company changed its name to Olssons i Ellös, and at the same time new premises were built on the industrial estate just outside Ellös. The first e-commerce platform was launched in 1996.
Handed over to his sons
In 1999, Kaj stepped back and handed the business over to his three sons, Henrik, Olle and Magnus. The Olsson Parts brand was launched in 2020, and the first external CEO in the family company’s history was appointed two years later.A great deal of water has flowed under the bridge since the farm boy Kaj – you know, the one who has never done anything remarkable in his 92-year life – saw his first picture of a backhoe, had a feeling and started his own company, began importing tractors from the UK and became one of the largest businesses when it comes to spare parts for tractors and later also for construction machinery. An inheritance for his sons to humbly manage?– It’s great that my boys have taken it on.
