Said and Behzad are the entrepreneurs behind IBP Scandinavia: “There is always a better way”

Said Saharkhiz and Behzad Rahimi, the entrepreneurs behind the distributor and marketing agency IBP Scandinavia, are itching to get started. And where one wants to walk, the other wants to run.

“We have both dreamed of building our own company, something we can be proud of. And where others think traditionally, we see new opportunities,” says Said Saharkhiz, founder and CEO of IBP Scandinavia.

Behzad Rahimi and Said Saharkhiz, founders of IBP Scandinavia.

IBP Scandinavia started with a dream and a gut feeling. After Said fell asleep in front of the microwave in the middle of the night while warming up formula for his newborn daughter, he thought, ‘There must be a better way.’ So, after a diligent search, he found Baby Brezza, an American manufacturer of formula warmers, among other things.

"I still remember the call from Said. My first thought was, ‘This is it,’" says Behzad Rahimi, founder and sales manager at IBP Scandinavia."

That same evening, Said and Behzad contacted Baby Brezza's headquarters in the United States, which referred them to the office in France. Said and Behzad told them that they wanted to become the company's next distributor for Baby Brezza in Scandinavia and wanted to meet them in person. France said yes, and Said and Behzad boarded the first plane south.

"Our thinking was that, at worst, we would have two fun days in Paris. At best, the trip would change our lives.”

They refined their pitch and five-year plan on the flight. A half-hour meeting turned into three hours. And it ended with Said and Behzad stepping out onto the street outside their office with a contract in hand.

"At that point, we didn't even have a company. Just an ambition and a dream.”

That ambition and willingness to go the extra mile has now made IBP Scandinavia the largest distributor of baby tech products in the Nordic region.

Always on the move

The two entrepreneurs, who have known each other since they were 13, love to jump in head first and see where it leads. And although they are both restless, Said is the analytical and thoughtful one, Behzad the energetic and networking one.

“I don't have Said's patience. He has a mind like few others and always thinks five steps ahead. He wants to walk and I want to run and see what I encounter along the way,” says Behzad.

Despite their restlessness, they have both learned an important lesson: to take calculated risks. To dare to try and be prepared for success or failure.

“It's in failure that you learn the most, and I'm glad for every misstep I've taken. Those are lessons I take with me to the next time,” says Said.

They both have plenty of lessons to draw on, even though neither of them has yet turned 40.

Back in secondary school, Said burned CDs and sold them in the schoolyard. Since then, he has built up and sold a table booking website and run an events company. While studying for a double degree at CSU Northridge in the United States, he started a dropshipping business.

Behzad began his journey at Elgiganten as a summer employee and broke sales records after only six months. Over the course of ten years, he climbed the corporate ladder, from salesperson to department manager, helped launch B2B sales for Elgiganten Sweden, and went on to head the purchasing department for the entire Nordic region. This was followed by roles as a buyer at SIBA and business developer in store concepts for international brands such as Hermès, Chloé, Triumph and B&O. Behzad then became category manager at Jollyroom before moving on to work in the Nordic distribution chain for household products. It was there that he realised how much it is actually possible to change the industry. And this is where the next chapter begins.

"I had just become a father and was living the life of a young parent. Behzad knew the baby and distribution industry and understood the market, and I knew how to do business. So we were completely convinced that Baby Brezza was right for us," says Said.

Thinking outside the box at every stage

It is no coincidence that the journey with IBP Scandinavia has gone so well. The lessons Said and Behzad have learned along the way have given them the experience to build something that lasts.

"A good gut feeling comes from experience.”

Experience allows Behzad and Said to dare to think in new ways. IBP Scandinavia is no ordinary distributor; they also handle marketing and after-sales and take overall responsibility for the brand owners' market presence in Scandinavia.

"Even in marketing, we constantly try to think innovatively. When we started Baby Brezza, we didn't wait to have retailers in place; we started right away to build demand among end consumers, the parents. Among other things, we were early adopters of influencer collaborations,” says Behzad.

Trust builds the future

Although innovation and new thinking are important, it is trust that creates successful collaborations.

"If you want to build something big that lasts, trust is the most important thing. Whether it's the supplier, the retailer or the end consumer, i.e. the parents, they need to be able to trust us.”

Good business is built on what Said and Behzad refer to as a win-win concept, where everyone is satisfied.

In addition to Baby Brezza, IBP Scandinavia has now also secured the brands Uppababy and Owlet. IBP receives many enquiries from parties interested in having the company as a distributor, but Said and Behzad are careful to choose the right ones for IBP. This is where gut feeling comes in.

"We believe in quality and offering something that parents love. We don't want to work with anything we don't believe in.”

Even though their dream of starting their own business has come true, Said and Behzad are still restless.

“I love life as an entrepreneur and solving problems; every day offers a new challenge. As soon as I stand still, I get bored,” says Said Saharkhiz.

“Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle. I am very proud of what we have built. I still feel restless, but now I am in the right place,” says Behzad Rahimi.

For more information, contact:
Said Saharkhiz, CEO and founder, said@ibpscandinavia.se

IBP Scandinavia markets and distributes innovative products in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The company holds the rights to international brands such as Baby Brezza, Uppababy and Owlet. Its head office is in Gothenburg and the company has a turnover of approximately SEK 50 million. ibpscandinavia.se

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