Värmebaronen, situated in Kristianstad in the South of Sweden, has been run by the Nilsson family for 50 years. Focussing on continued expansion, in particularly in Europe, and a strong belief in building relationships, Värmebaronen continues to be an important part of the development of energy-efficient solutions for heating and energy. Since 1984, Värmebaronen has exhibited continuously at Nordbygg. Christopher Nilsson, CEO, explains why.
31 January 2025
Over the years, Värmebaronen has grown into an international actor. Recently turning 50, the company now looks back at its successes and ahead towards an exciting future. Today the company is being run by three generations of Nilsson. The founder, Berth, is still active in the operations even though the CEO post is now held by his son, Christopher, who also has involved his own daughter in the business.
– Even though we were founded as a Swedish family business, today we are an international actor with a strong export and commitment to sustainable heating and energy solutions, Christopher explains.
Major investment in marketing
Christopher describes how stable investments in marketing have been an important part of the success, among other things by prioritising fairs in several countries. The marketing strategy in Sweden is different from the rest of Europe, though.
– We see that Sweden is at least twenty years ahead of Europe when it comes to heat pumps. In Europe, natural gas has been too cheap and the legal framework hasn’t been in place to motivate a transition. But bolstered by EU Directives and sustainability demands, we now see that interest in a transition is increasing, says Christopher.
He describes how their presence at fairs in Europe above all is about educating and supporting clients in the transition to sustainable energy solutions, while the Swedish marketing strategy is more focussed on customer care and deepening relations.
At Nordbygg since 1984
In Sweden, taking part in fairs is mostly about customer care.
Värmebaronen is one of Nordbygg’s most loyal exhibitors. The company took part already in 1984 and has since exhibited without interruption.
– Like many others, we bring product news, but we also take the opportunity to try unfinished products on our customers. That way, they can give us input before we launch the final product. When they get involved in the development, we get products that we know the market wants, and we really have had many ideas which turned into reality after being born in the meeting with our customers, Christopher says.
A unique aspect of Värmebaronen’s presence at Nordbygg is that their entire sales team is there during every day of Nordbygg.
– Since we believe in the personal relationship and want to lower the bar for people coming to our stand, we want to make sure that our customers feel welcome. An important part of this is that the customers feel at home and can meet their personal sales contacts to deepen the relationship
Vision for the future – Innovation and sustainable growth
With sustainability as the core principle, Värmebaronen’s ambition isn’t just to deliver products, but also to offer total system solutions that meet the increasing demands on energy efficiency and environmentally friendly alternatives. This is where Sweden and Värmebaronen is far ahead in the development of modern heating solutions.
– It is something we Swedes should shout about and be proud of, Christopher closes.
Photographer: Thilda Nilsson.
