Industry organization Svenskt Sportforum has named Stiga its ”Star of the Year.”
The industry organization Svenskt Sportforum has named Stiga Sports as its Star of the Year in Swedish Sports for 2024. The award is presented annually to a company that has made an exemplary contribution to the industry’s development through innovation, business results, visibility or social benefit.
The award’s jury – consisting of Jonas Linder (Sportforum), Fredrik Ågren and Sofia Björnstjerna (Key Search Scandinavia) – said that Stiga Sports “clearly demonstrates that it is possible to combine heritage and history with innovation and progress. With 80 years behind it, the brand is deeply rooted in Swedish sports culture – well-known, beloved, and ever-present in homes and workplaces alike.”
Stiga has undergone an impressive transformation in recent years. With a high level of innovation and strong business development, it has not only created new, high-profile product formats – such as challenging the classic round racquet shape – but also established itself in several new sports, such as tennis, padel, badminton, pickleball and hockey.
And since its great success at the Paris Olympics with the octagonal racquet, the number of licensed players in Sweden has doubled – reaching the highest figure since the 1980s.
SGI Europe has spoken with Andreas Zandrén, CEO of Stiga Sports.
SGI Europe: How did it feel to receive the award?
Zandrén: It was both surprising and very honoring! Receiving external recognition for something we are passionate about every day means a lot, not least to the entire team at Stiga Sports. This is a real team effort that we’ve worked hard on together for many years. Being 1 percent better every day makes a huge difference in a year.
What are you most satisfied with over the past year?
I’m particularly proud that we’ve managed to combine successful innovation with the courage to venture into new areas that we continue to develop. Truls [Möregårdh]’s successes have meant a great deal not only for us but for the entire sport in Sweden. Adam Axelsson, a super talent in padel, has really made a breakthrough with our padel racquets. When our users achieve results with the products we develop in Eskilstuna, I feel incredibly proud! There’s no better proof or rating than that!
How important is the collective? Why are you successful?
Our strength lies in a culture where we are curious, dare to question whether there are better ways of doing things, and are never satisfied – except when we’re celebrating, of course. When a product developer is challenged by feedback from a user, something magical happens. The key is openness, curiosity and the fact that we actually play and test our products together every week, at all levels. Living the brand. Everyone is important and should be proud of this wonderful award.
How will you celebrate?
We’ll celebrate as we usually do: with cake! But this time it will probably be Budapest cakes, as we’ve eaten huge amounts of cake over the past year.
