the Revelation that half of the Ikea-founder Ingvar Kamprads fortune goes to the bets in the north caused many to raise eyebrows.
An important reason can be found in the Kamprads friendship with the minister of rural affairs Sven-Erik Bucht (S).
When Bucht was still mayor of the town, he operated and controlled by the Kamprad family in order to open an Ikea store in the northern town at the Swedish-Finnish border.
In the meantime, was born a friendship and when the store finally opened in november 2006, large parts of the inhabitants on the spot to pay tribute to Ingvar Kamprad and to the establishment, many analysts shirred on the nose.
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Few believed in the establishment
At the opening ceremony mingled Ingvar Kamprad and talked with the staff and Haparandabor, often he had a knitted hood of the local model on its head, at the same time as the future the Swedish countryside minister Sven-Erik Bucht was walking around and snoozing in it now was the world’s northernmost Ikea store.
Ingvar Kamprad at the opening of the department store in Haparanda. Photo: GUNILLA SIKSTRÖM , minister of rural affairs Sven-Erik Bucht at the opening ceremony, the then municipal commissioner in Haparanda. Photo: SIKSTRÖM GUNILLA At the opening in Haparanda were interviewed Ingvar Kamprad, the Swedish newspaper Expressen Cecilia Hagen. Photo: GUNILLA SIKSTRÖM Previous Next Close full screen
” He saw things that no other saw. There were lots of olyckskorpar, who said it would never go with a department store in the small Haparanda. In the board of directors was called there for Ingvar’s project and there were other executives who thought it was crazy, ” said Sven-Erik Bucht to Today’s industry in connection with the Kamprads death earlier in the year.
ingvar Kamprad, and the Bay was right across the way was already the year after the opening, when the inux of customers was so great, from Finland, that the store had to be built out.
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the Friendship was strengthened
the Battle for the department store, and the triumph after the opening, meant that the friendship between Kamprad and present the Swedish countryside minister deepened.
– It all, it developed into a personal relationship between me and Ingvar. We became very close friends, and not I only, and Ingvar, but also our families. When his wife Margaretha lived, she visited and Ingvar, my home north of Haparanda very many times, and after Margaretha passed away in 2011 continued Ingvar to visit us, and we were also often visited in the province of Småland, ” says Sven-Erik Bucht in Di interview.
Interest in Haparanda was huge when the store opened. Photo: GUNILLA SIKSTRÖM ingvar Kamprad opened the department store 15 november 2006. Photo: GUNILLA SIKSTRÖM With the Finnish flag and the Finnish customers, contributed to making the establishment of the world’s northernmost Ikea department store in to a success. Photo: GUNILLA SIKSTRÖM Previous Next Close full screen
They talked on the phone several times a week and in the article says Bucht if Kamprads ever-present thoughtfulness.
” If it was the truck drivers that come five in the morning and unloaded the goods at the store he asked: Have you been showering boys, have you been drinking coffee? Me he asked is always: How is it with your little mother? How does she have it? Hug her from me. He had a genuine concern for all people, ” says Sven-Erik Bucht to the Di.
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Minister: I am not surprised
When Your money is talking to the Swedish countryside minister on Tuesday, says he:
” I’m not surprised. Ingvar, who grew up under simple conditions in the countryside, burned for the Swedish countryside and for the little man. He saw how important a living countryside is a country that holds together. His motto was also ”together”, as together we can achieve so much.
Sven-Erik Bucht also tells of the many talks he had with the Ikea-founder of the life and the future of the northern region.
– Ingvar saw that parts of our country have försakats for a long time. The northern region is the a little especially with large geographical distances, many municipalities, few inhabitants and an ageing population. At the same time is the northern region so important for Sweden’s growth, much of the production takes place there. He was often visited me and we had many discussions on how we can get young people to want to stay in the north, ” says Sven-Erik Bucht for Your money.
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”Always been interested in Norrland”
the focus on The enterprise and the entrepreneurs may have been a surprise for many, but for his closest friends and associates were The store’s interest and passion for the north of Sweden, a well-known fact.
Ingvar Kamprad, has always been interested in the north of sweden, often been there. He wanted to make it possible for young people to live there and not have to move, ” says Per Heggenes, head of the Ikea Foundation and former spokesperson for the family Kamprad, to the DN.
