Feddersen Group is expanding its presence in southern Sweden with the construction of a new competence centre at Bredasten in Värnamo, Småland. The facility is planned to be twice the size of the current site and will operate as an open, hands-on arena for demonstrations, test runs, training and customer-driven development projects for the plastics and recycling industries. Despite the current economic downturn, the investment follows the group’s long-term approach to supporting profitability and competitiveness in plastics processing, compounding and recycling. The opening of the centre is scheduled for December 2026, when K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery, K.D. Feddersen Distribution and K.D. Feddersen Norden Holding will relocate to the new premises.
According to the group, bringing these businesses together in Värnamo will create an integrated environment that spans the plastics value chain, from raw materials to machinery, automation, service and circular material flows. The competence centre is intended to serve as a practical platform where processors and partners can evaluate complete production cells, including auxiliary equipment, and validate processes in real production runs. This includes optimising material selection with both virgin polymers and recycled feedstock and analysing their behaviour under industrially relevant processing conditions.
Long-term commitment to plastics and recycling
The new competence centre is being positioned as a strategic response to structural changes in the plastics and recycling markets. Feddersen Group underlines that the project is aligned with its long-term roadmap rather than short-term economic cycles. The company highlights stable ownership and a focus on the long-term development of the plastics industry as a key enabler for the investment.
"We have the privilege of very strong owners with a deep commitment to the plastics industry and a long-term roadmap," says Torbjörn Egerhag, chairman of the board of K.D. Feddersen Norden Holding. "Investing now is about giving our customers and partners a head start when the economy turns and strengthening the region’s position as a leading hub for sustainable, competitive plastics production."
The competence centre will be equipped to support application development, energy-efficiency improvements and process optimisation. Services will include materials and data analysis, as well as training activities aimed at shortening the path from concept and simulation to validated performance in the production environment. By concentrating these resources in one location, Feddersen Group expects customers to be able to make better-informed material choices, reduce lead times for new projects and improve overall production economics.
From raw materials to machinery under one roof
With the move to the new premises, K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery, K.D. Feddersen Distribution and K.D. Feddersen Norden Holding will share a common base in Värnamo. The aim is to create a setup where machinery, automation, service capability and polymer expertise are available in one coordinated environment, including competence in recycled materials and circular flows. The group plans to present complete, automated production cells in operation, integrating auxiliary equipment and allowing realistic test runs.
"Our primary task is to be good ambassadors for the plastics industry and create profitability for our customers," says Bengt Rimark, CEO of K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery in the Nordics and Baltics. "The competence centre gives us even better conditions to show, prove, and deliver, from the right machine investment to optimised production processes for higher profitability."
For the raw materials business, co-location is intended to reduce the distance between material development and processing practice. "As one of the Nordic region’s strong raw material suppliers, we want to be even closer to the customer’s reality," says Dan Hagström, CEO of K.D. Feddersen Distribution in the Nordics. "By moving into the new competence centre, we can jointly test and optimise polymers and recycled feedstock directly in the same environment as machinery and automation, enabling safer material selection, shorter lead times, and better economics for our customers."
Groundbreaking in Värnamo (from left): Bengt Rimark, Torbjörn Egerhag, Simon Vestlund, Dan Hagström looking forward to the new Competence Centre at Bredasten
Regional hub for Nordic operations
The property developer RPZ Fastigheter, led by Hans Eriksson, is responsible for developing and constructing the new competence centre at Bredasten. Feddersen Group will lease the building as tenant. The partners state that the project is designed to provide conditions for long-term growth, an improved working environment and increased attractiveness for future employees.
With Värnamo as a hub, Feddersen Group is consolidating its Nordic operations and eight companies in a shared, modern location. The new competence centre is expected to serve both as a technical platform for plastics and recycling applications and as a regional node for cooperation with customers and partners across the Nordic and Baltic markets.
