With A.B.S. Factoring to an international brand: Hygiene of Sweden grows despite the crisis

The start of the coronavirus pandemic opened up an enormous market opportunity for Hygiene of Sweden. The global demand for effective hand and surface disinfection increased rapidly. Today, the company sells its products – including disinfectant sprays, foam and wipes – in around 30 countries.

Hygiene of Sweden was founded in 2016 by biochemist Philip Wilhelmsson and his father Ulf Wilhelmsson, also a chemist. Both brought their experience from water treatment in nuclear power plants to develop innovative, alcohol-free disinfection solutions.

As an official partner of the Swedish national ski team and the athletics federation, the company also focuses on professional sport. Wilhelmsson himself was a promising athlete in his youth: “I now compete against viruses and bacteria,” he smiles.

In order to meet the increasing demand, Hygiene of Sweden invested heavily in expanding its production capacities. Laboratories and production facilities were set up not only in Sweden, but also in India and Thailand in order to efficiently meet international demand. “By having our own production in these countries, we can reduce costs. However, our biggest challenge is the long lead times – it often takes weeks to months between production and payment for the delivered products. This puts an enormous strain on our liquidity,” explains the founder.

Hygiene of Sweden’s largest sales markets are in Russia, Asia and the Middle East. In India and Thailand, the products are used in both pharmacies and hospitals, while in Russia they are available in over 5,000 pharmacies. In addition, the company has successfully gained distribution partners in Switzerland and Spain – and has reached a significant milestone with the US market. In Sweden, the products are listed in pharmacies and grocery stores as well as private labelled by leading retail chains such as Ahlsell.

“The growing interest in our products opens up new opportunities. We are currently evaluating how we can strategically develop our brand further. Our aim is to expand our range and offer hygiene products for even more areas of application,” explains Philip Wilhelmsson.

He is aware that the rapid growth of his company is a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic – but remains calm. “We were developing and selling antibacterial products long before the pandemic. This gives us a solid basis compared to competitors who only wanted to benefit from the increased demand in the short term.” Wilhelmsson is optimistic about the future: “Long-term thinking is crucial. And we already have new innovative ideas in the pipeline.”

A.B.S. Factoring remains a reliable partner for Hygiene of Sweden and continues to support the company on its international expansion course. By optimising its cash flow and taking over receivables management, Hygiene of Sweden has been able to respond flexibly to increasing demand and drive forward its growth strategy in a targeted manner. The partnership with A.B.S. Factoring not only ensures financial stability, but also enables the company to remain agile in new markets and expand its international presence in the long term.