ESBE, A WORKPLACE WHERE THE MIX OF GENERATIONS CREATES DYNAMICS.

50 years of lessons!

We spoke with Leif, who usually goes by the name Leffe, Team Leader in the departments for control and mixing valves, SLx control valves, and circulation units at ESBE. He tells the story of how it all began when he started his employment on January 1, 1975!

-        I was a bit tired of school, you could say, and got the chance to split my time between school and ESBE. Learn a trade and get paid, that wasn't so bad. I worked like that throughout the spring of 1975. After the summer break, ninth grade was finished, and I got a permanent job at ESBE as an all-around worker. Then I moved on to different departments. Everything from warehouse/dispatch function, the department that no longer exists - where we assembled balancing valves, to operating ESBE's first CNC machine from “Storebro” and - yes, nearly all manufacturing departments in the company!
During his years at ESBE, Leif has seen the company's development through three generations of the owning family. He has always valued the family atmosphere here, and that has made him always feel that going to work has been meaningful. Even though he has sometimes considered changing jobs, he has always stayed. The fact that ESBE is a family-like workplace is proven not only by the owning family but also by Leif's own family. His wife and brother work here, and his children have also had short periods at the company. When asked how to build a good relationship with the boss, Leif laughs and shares an unexpected tip: 
-    In my case, it has been to offer him a pinch of snuff!"

Colleagues and family

Siv Sundvall, who is responsible for serving food in the ESBE canteen, is married to Leif. She notes that it works well to work at the same company because they work in different departments. She highlights Leif's planning skills. 
-    He always has control of the situation and makes sure that what he has decided gets done. Perhaps that's one of the reasons he is now Team Leader for so many departments – he knows how things work here and how to make sure things get done!
Leif's brother Bo Sundvall started at ESBE two years before Leif but has worked at other workplaces at various times. He has been working in the transfer department since 2018 and will soon retire. Bo, or Bosse as he is always called, tells with a laugh about how Leffe seems to have an incredible ability to win in lotteries. A talent that has probably not gone unnoticed at ESBE. 
-    One wonders what his secret is?!
Now, the brothers look back on their time at the company and note that they have both enjoyed their time at ESBE over the years. Even though Bosse has tried a few other things in between. Much has happened, the company has grown both on the map and in the number of employees. The machine park has changed, and new products have been developed! They both live in Reftele and have always prioritized having a short commute to work, liked employers with family leadership, and appreciated colleagues who are honest and fun.
 

1979

2025