9 May 2023
The Business Medal 2023 to Jan Blad and Erland Erlandsson
Eight recipients are awarded the Business Medal 2023. His Royal Highness Prince Carl Philip presented the medals at the Royal Patriotic Society's annual ceremony on May 8th at the House of Nobility in Stockholm. Jan Blad and Erland Erlandsson are awarded the medal for building a profitable company that supports their local community.
The first company in the Amokabel group was founded in 1992 by Jan Blad and Erland Erlandsson. The headquarters and factory are located in Alstermo, in the province of Småland. Since then, the group has constantly grown through acquisitions and new startups, and now has operations in India, England, Norway, and Australia. With an extensive agent and distribution network, the company has a strong global presence. Cables of various types are the focus of production.
"Their motivation is for building a profitable company with unique technology and, through their foundation, creating a long-term ownership structure that supports the local community," says Kjell Blückert, the Royal Patriotic Society's permanent secretary. The proposer is member Hans Ahlin, the society's treasurer.
Since 2016, Amokabel has been mainly owned by the Blad and Erlandsson foundation to secure the group's continued anchoring in Alstermo and ensure that part of future profits goes to business development, youth, and educational activities in the region.
"It feels very honorable to receive the medal; we didn't expect it," say Jan Blad and Erland Erlandsson. "From being unemployed with 100 other workers when the factory was shut down in the early 1990s, we then restarted the business, and now there are 200 people working here in Alstermo. We have regained some spirit and vitality, not just for ourselves but for the entire business community in the region. We must be proud of that."
All recipients of the Business Medal 2023:
• Jan Blad and Erland Erlandsson, Amokabel (Kronoberg County)
• Magnus Bolin, Gotlandsägg (Gotland County)
• Madeleine Brehmer and Caroline Cederblad, Sabis (Stockholm County)
• Lena Holst, Starka (Skåne County)
• Edward Liepe, Saturnus (Skåne County)
• David Modig, Modig MachineTool (Kalmar County)
About the Business Medal: In 1982, the Royal Patriotic Society established a special award medal to honor commendable individual contributions to Swedish business – the Medal for Meritorious Service in Swedish Business. The reward is given for leadership efforts on an ownership basis. The medal is awarded by the Society's Management Committee upon the proposal of the members and previous recipients of the Business Medal. The medal, which is made of gold, is awarded in the Society's first size (equivalent to the 11th size, 41 mm).
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT
