An aerial shot of Gothenburg, Sweden – home of the Stena Metall Group.

About us

The history of Stena Metall

Corporate

From local to global in one generation

The founder of Stena, Sten Allan Olsson, was one of the greatest entrepreneurs in Sweden. He started out small, trading metals in Gothenburg, but eventually founded the entire Stena Sphere, which consists of businesses operating globally. The spirit of Sten A Olsson still guides us in everything we do, helping us create sustainable solutions for more effective resource management.

A young Sten A Olsson by his first head office in Gothenburg where it all started.

A young Sten A Olsson by his first head office where it all started.

built on a pioneering spirit

Sten A Olsson grew up on an island off the west coast of Sweden. His father was a role model to him. He worked as a skipper on his own schooner. So began the dream of young Sten Allan, to one day start his own business.

In 1939, at the age of 23, Sten A Olsson started trading ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, rags and raw rubber. He had a rare flair and talent for business. This, combined with hard work, thrift and honesty, made the business flourish. He began to collect and sell more types of material. What started as a small business in the scrap metal industry quickly developed under Sten A Olsson's leadership.

The shipping company was founded in 1948 and during the 1950s operated two owned and 12 chartered cargo vessels in coastal trade.

An archive image showing Sten A Olsson’s office and scrap yard in Gothenburg – the beginnings of Stena Metall Group.

n archive image showing an early Stena Metall Group employee standing next to one of Sten A. Olsson’s trucks.

1962 was a pivotal year in Stena's history. Sten A Olsson entered the passenger shipping business on the Gothenburg-Skagen route. Three years later, he expanded and started the route between Gothenburg, Sweden, and Kiel, Germany.

In 1972, the business was split into two companies: Stena Line and Stena Metall. In the same year, Dan Sten Olsson, the son of Sten A Olsson, joined the Stena Sphere, after having spent three years in internships following a degree in economics. He became Deputy Managing Director in 1978 and took over the management of Stena from his father in 1983.

Over the following decades the Stena Metall Group grew strongly, acquiring several other companies along the way. In 2008, four recycling companies were merged into one to become Stena Recycling.

Today, the Stena Metall Group includes eight business areas, all with the aim to contribute to the development of the circular economy through more efficient and smarter use of resources.

Sten Allan Olsson, the founder of the Stena Sphere.

“Don't be discouraged by setbacks, come back. Fly low and fly far.”

Sten Allan Olsson, founder of the Stena Sphere

23-year-old Sten A Olsson

A true entrepreneur.

In 1939, you would find Sten A Olsson trading metals, raw rubber and other scrap materials from his tiny office in Gothenburg, Sweden. This 23-year-old, first-of-his-kind entrepreneur, saw something that others did not – when they saw scrap, he saw opportunities.

A history of true entrepreneurial spirit1939 - 1983 1939 – The foundations of the Stena Metall Group, and indeed the Stena Sphere, are laid when 23-year-old Sten A Olsson begins trading metals, other scrap and raw rubber from a little office in Gothenburg.
1950s – During this expansive era the number of employees grows rapidly.
– After working mostly with trading and storage, the company opens its first branch office and scrap collection, and processing takes off.
– Land purchased in Tingstad becomes the company's first scrap yard.
– The strategic decision is taken that Stena Metall is “not just a scrap wholesaler”.
– Over the years, freight becomes increasingly important, and in 1972 the business is divided into Stena Metall and Stena Line.
– A steel wholesaler is purchased.
– Stena Metall acquires PLM Återvinning – Sweden's second largest recycling company at this time. Stena Metall's operations more than double.
– Stena Oil is founded.
– Stena Metall's environmental companies are founded.
– Stena Metall is sold from Stena AB. A new group, The Stena Metall AB Group, with the same shareholders is formed.

An aerial shot of scrap material being collected at a Stena Metall Group recycling facility.

Rapid business growth

The Stena Metall Group adds new business areas to the recycling operations.

From the '90s onwards the recycling operations expand more rapidly. The Stena Metall Group also becomes providers of steel, aluminium and oil. A small company in the growing electronics recycling industry is acquired.

– 19991984 – The Stena Metall Group's various businesses are incorporated.
– Averhoff & Co A / S is acquired.
– The fall of the Berlin Wall changes trading activities.
– Stena Metall acquires Car Fragmentation.
1990s – From the '90s onwards the recycling operations expand more rapidly. The Stena Metall Group also becomes providers of steel, aluminium and oil. A small company in the growing electronics recycling industry is acquired.
– Stena Miljö A / S is established in Norway.
– Producer liability legislation is introduced in Sweden.
– The export ban on iron and scrap metal is lifted.
– Stena's recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment is founded in Sweden.
– Stena Miljö establishes a subsidiary in Finland.
– The Stena Group doubles in size through the acquisition of the Gotthard Nilsson Group.

A close-up shot of buildings in a European city. From 2000-2010, Stena Metall Group expanded in Europe and the Nordic countries.

International expansion

Opening up for business offerings and opportunities in multiple markets in the year 2000.

International expansion in the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Italy and also rapidly develops R&D activities, products, complete solutions, and other services for various industries.

- 20172000-2010 – International expansion in the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Rapid development of R&D activities, products, complete solutions, and other services for various industries.
– Scrap yards are established in Russia.
– Operations in Poland begin.
– Establishment of fragmentation plant in Pori, Finland.
– Special investment in hazardous waste, industrial waste and other operational waste.
– Acquisition of Reci.
– The Swedish recycling companies merge into Stena Recycling.
– Stena becomes Europe's leading electronics recycler with operations in 10 countries.
– The Stena Metall Group operates in more than 200 locations across Europe and in the United States.
– Stena acquires IL Recycling and Stena Recycling strengthens its leading position in Sweden and in Poland.
– Inauguration of Stena Nordic Recycling Center – Europe's most modern recycling facility.

Stena Nordic Recycling Center

Taking recycling into the future.

In 2016, the most advanced recycling facility in Europe is established in Halmstad, Sweden: Stena Nordic Recycling Center. Committed to development, our recycling labs are expanding expertise, testing new recycling technology, and developing new products.

Find out more

- now2018 – The Stena Metall Group issues its first green bond with 'dark green' rating. The amount is SEK 800 million with a term of five years.
– Stena Aluminium is named “Best Supplier of the year 2018”.
- Stena Recycling's new sustainability arena Circular Initiative is gathered for the first time and attracts more than 200 people to the event at Eric Ericsonhallen at Skeppsholmen in Stockholm.
– Stena Metall celebrates 80 years.
- Stena Metall, together with the Danish company Vestforbrænding, inaugurates the world's first full-scale HaloSep plant. The plant converts fly ash from incineration processes into useful resources such as metals and salt, as well as purified fly ash.
- As part of a strategic review of the Stena Metall Group, the decision is taken to divest Stena Components.
- As part of a strategic review of the Stena Metall Group, the German refrigerator recycling business of Stena Recycling GmbH is divested. Stena Recycling's operations in Germany switches focus to growth within collection, processing, and recycling of batteries.
– The Stena Metall Group issues its second green bond with 'dark green' rating. The amount is SEK 1 billion and the maturity is five years.
- Stena Recycling Finland acquires Encore Environmental Services (Encore Ympäristöpalvelut Oy).
- On September 1, Kristofer Sundsgård takes up the position as President and CEO of the Stena Metall Group. He succeeds Anders Jansson who takes over as Chairman of the Board of Stena Metall from Dan Sten Olsson who remains as member of the Board as its Honorary Chairman.
– The Stena Metall Group issues a new green bond with 'dark green' rating. The amount is SEK 1,000 million with a term of five years.