Torsten Jansson – from basement to empire
There are few things that are as significant for Småland as our glass factories. The legacy of history glows in our industries found here. So how does it turn out when our history is intertwined with a person that lives and breathes entrepreneurship?
Orrefors’ history is the story of how the simplest of raw materials – lime, sand and soda – has turned into magnificent glass objects, ever since the end of the 19th century. Fuelled by the forest, Orrefors and KostaBoda made world-leading glass.
Torsten Jansson’s story is different. He is the entrepreneur who founded the mega-conglomerate New Wave Group. Torsten Jansson started by printing t-shirts in the basement at his parents’ home in Dingle in Bohuslän. The motto “hard work pays off” turned out to be true. The company New Wave grew at record speed and is today an empire with a turnover of almost SEK 9,5 billion.
For 20 years now, the Orrefors and KostaBoda glass factories have been part of the group, when Torsten bought the companies at a time of decline. He managed to turn the numbers around and make the companies survive, even through the financial crisis that later hit the glass kingdom hard. Today, Orrefors and KostaBoda’s exclusive glass is exported all over the world.
The Kingdom of Crystal is a realm filled with masters and artists, and at Torsten’s own Kosta Boda Art Hotel, their creations come together in a fairytale-like atmosphere. Here, these masters and artists have shaped the hotel’s interior and ambiance with shimmering glass artworks that capture the magical light of the forest—Småland’s treasure hidden in every detail.
Torsten became a “smålänning”
Torsten has now been a resident of Småland for a decade and lives in Kosta – a place he is constantly reinventing. In the small town, he has built a luxury hotel made of glass, a safari park, an outlet and a variety of other places to visit. Next up: A multi-arena. And a sports empire.
Torsten Jansson has become one of the most enterprising Småland residents of all time.
Photos of Torsten Jansson: Suvad Mrkonjic/Bildbyrån
Photos from Kosta: Destination Glasriket
