The grand opening of Synsam Group’s Production and Innovation Center in Östersund
Today, the grand opening of the Nordics' first large-scale manufacturing industry for spectacle frames was held when Synsam Group's new Production and Innovation Center on Frösön opened. The opening was officiated by CEO Håkan Lundstedt and was attended by HRH Prince Daniel, the Minister for Business, Industry, and Innovation Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson and the Governor of Jämtland County Marita Ljung.
In 2020, Synsam Group made the decision to return its production of spectacles from China back home to Sweden - a so-called "reshoring". Today, after two intense years, the 8,100 square meters in Jämtland's former air flotilla Hangar 90 at Frösö Park are ready for glasses production. The initiative, which goes by the name "Made in Sweden", represents a new industrial era and is an investment in a reduced climate footprint with a focus on sustainable and circular production.
Håkan Lundstedt, President and CEO of Synsam Group:
– Today is a historic day for Synsam Group and Swedish industry. With courage and great determination, Synsam shows that we can turn words into action; to move production back home and offer the customer locally produced glasses. I am extremely proud that production has started and that we will have our first Jämtö collection out in the stores by September already.
Synsam Group's Production and Innovation Center is of great local, regional, and national importance.
Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, Minister for Business, Industry, and Innovation:
– It is very gratifying that Synsam Group is opening a new Production and Innovation Center with a focus on sustainable production and product design in Östersund. The establishment is important for creating further interest in Jämtland as an attractive business region and will be a significant addition with hundreds of new jobs. Synsam Group's choice to relocate production home can hopefully inspire other companies to move their production to Sweden and is a testament to how a sustainable transition strengthens society and creates jobs.
The Production and Innovation Center will eventually provide a couple of hundred jobs and employ many more people in the production and sales chain. Thus, Synsam Group becomes one of Östersund's largest employers in the private sector.
Marita Ljung, Governor of Jämtland County:
– We welcome Synsam Group to a growing municipality and a growing county with unique settings for its employees to live in. Synsam's establishment will also contribute to increasing the county's overall competitiveness and innovation.
Jämtö - first collection on the line
In connection with the opening, the first collection produced in the facility was also presented. The collection is called Jämtö. The frame consists of 68 percent bio-based cellulose from wood pulp and vegetable oils. The design of the six unique unisex frames is inspired by Jämtland's nature.
For more information, please contact:
Jenny Fridh, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer Synsam Group
+46 730 277 018, jenny.fridh@synsam.com
About Made in Sweden
As part of the group's sustainability agenda, Synsam Group has relocated the glasses production from Asia to Frösön outside Östersund, which started production in August 2022. The relocation is an important next step in the group's endeavor to contribute to reducing the climate footprint in terms of shorter transports, a focus on circular, recycled and locally produced materials and to get products to market faster. The Production and Innovation Center is located in the former Jämtland air flotilla Hangar 90 at Frösö Park and amounts to approximately 8,100 square meters. There is a production capacity of one million glasses per year and constitutes the Nordic region's first modern manufacturing industry for glasses. The Production and Innovation Center will also be a destination for employees, customers and the business community, and will include premises for education within eye health.
https://www.synsamgroup.com/om-synsam/var-verksamhet/made-in-sweden/
About Synsam Group
Synsam Group is a leading optician group in the Nordic region, with a differentiated and sustainable Lifestyle offering. Synsam Group offers a wide range of products and services for eye health and eye fashion, catering to the customer's different lifestyles and needs. The group has approximately 3,500 employees, net sales of approximately SEK 5 billion (rolling twelve months until March 2022) and has approximately 500 stores in the Nordics, operating under the brands Synsam, Ai Eyewear and Profil Optik in Denmark. Through digitalization, subscription services and other innovative concepts, Synsam Group is at the forefront of innovation in the Nordic optical retail market across multiple dimensions including customer journey, product offering and ESG. Synsam Group’s share is traded on Nasdaq Stockholm (SYNSAM).
www.synsamgroup.com
