Åre Skidfabrik recently expanded its facilities near the Swedish ski resort of Åre by 50 percent. The expansion was part of the company’s largest single investment in its 40-year history, which has also allowed it to introduce new energy efficiency solutions.The company acquired two new machines for greater efficiency and higher product quality: a grinding robot from Montana and a high-precision cutting machine from American Eastman Diecut. According to the company, this makes Åre Skidfabrik one of the most modern ski factories in the world. Åre Skidfabrik has always run its operations on 100 percent renewable energy from local hydropower plants, but in connection with the expansion of its facilities, it has replaced an old heating system with a new one that recycles excess heat released during the production process through a special ventilation system. In addition, the company has drilled 1,000 meters of energy holes for a new water-based geothermal heating solution. In combination, these two systems enable an energy reduction of 70 percent per square meter. The commitment to being a local, modern and sustainable company has resulted in two important awards this year: Åre Skidfabrik was named “Gazelle Company 2020” by Dagens Industri, Scandinavia’s largest business magazine, an award for the fastest-growing companies in Sweden, and “Entrepreneur of the Year Jämtland-Härjedalen 2020” by an organization called Företagarna. In addition to its own Extrem Skis brand, Åre Skidfabrik produces skis for three Norwegian brands, SGN Skis, Stereo Skis and Moonlight Mountain Gear, as well as for a U.S. ski brand, Rocky Mountain Underground.
