Swedish innovation meets British engineering at Husqvarna

Originally founded as the “Jönköping Rifle Factory” by decree of the Swedish monarch in 1620, SCC member Husqvarna has been a leading supplier of innovative appliances – such as gardening equipment – for four centuries. In this feature Ken Brewster, UK Sales & Marketing Director at Husqvarna Group, elaborates on the emergence and opportunities of the robotic lawn mower industry.

Initially, Husqvarna’s factory in the south of Sweden manufactured military equipment by appointment to the Swedish Armed Forces. Ever since, the product line has evolved including appliances such as sewing machines, white goods and motorcycles. Following the introduction of its first hand-push lawn mower in 1919, Husqvarna has directed focus towards its forestry and garden division. “The rich history of the business is proof of its ability to be innovative and evolve over time. It demonstrates the entrepreneurial nature of the company,” says Ken Brewster.

Global company with Swedish heritage
Over the course of time, Husqvarna has evolved into a global corporation with a world-wide presence. “We are very much still a Swedish company, but we operate as a global multinational corporation with a presence in 120 countries across the globe. We also employ some 13,000 people in the business.” A token of Husqvarna’s Swedish heritage is that a majority of its products are still designed in Sweden.

As the sixth largest lawn mowing market in the world, the UK market is of great strategic importance for Husqvarna. “With some 64 million people and 17 million gardens, there is a strong British gardening culture. So we can unlock a lot more potential here in the UK,” says Ken. Consequently, Husqvarna initiated a journey aimed at rapid growth in the UK market in 2016. “The United Kingdom is one of our biggest growth opportunities. I am pleased to say that we have grown our UK business by 55% in the last three years.”

A cornerstone in strategic development
By combining Swedish innovation and British engineering, robotics has in recent years become the cornerstone of Husqvarna’s strategic development. Having introduced its premier robotic lawn mower in 1995, Husqvarna celebrates 25 years of robotic lawn mowing this year. Ever since, innovation of the product has evolved tremendously: “Newly developed technologies improve performance, and the reliability of the appliance has improved significantly over time.”

Predominantly, the autonomously operating Automower® makes life easier for its users, by saving them time. “What we are looking to do is to create great experiences for our customers enabling them to enjoy their gardens. Freeing up people’s time allows them to do other things and improves their quality of life,” says Ken. Also, the everyday cutting operation of the Automower® provides micro clippings that act as a natural fertiliser significantly improving lawn quality.

In consequence, the increasing popularity of robotic mowers has become evident. “We are just about to celebrate selling two million units. It took about twenty three years to get to one million, and it has only taken another two years to reach the second million.” Ken puts emphasis on that Husqvarna has contributed to an increasingly expanding market: “We have invented the product and driven most of the innovation in recent years. We are the undisputed market leaders in every market around the world.”

Sustainable innovation
As the British lawn and garden market is transitioning from petrol to battery through the success of the robotic lawn mower, Husqvarna is experiencing significant improvements in terms of sustainability: “With low power consumption and zero carbon dioxide emissions, the innovation can be viewed as a very green and sustainable alternative to traditional petrol-powered products.” In conjunction, a raft of sustainability initiatives has seen Husqvarna reduce its carbon footprint as a manufacturer by 21% since 2018.

In order to ensure continuous success, Husqvarna operates an innovation lab in Sweden: “Our innovation lab is working with all different areas of technologies – robotics obviously, but artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things as well.” As a matter of fact, ceaseless innovation is a vital part of Husqvarna’s DNA. “Innovation is absolutely key to what we are doing, because there are a lot of global trends that are affecting our industry among other industries – influences such as climate change, urbanisation, technology and connectivity. All of these things are shaping how we are researching and developing, and repurposing output. We must stay relevant for now and for the future,” Ken concludes.

Ken Brewster, UK Sales & Marketing Director
at Husqvarna Group. Photo: Husqvarna.

BY: SARA APÉRIA