AB Banan-Kompaniet

AB Banan-Kompaniet is a Swedish banana company founded in 1909 in Gothenburg by the Norwegian Carl Mathiessen under the name "The Banana Company AB." It was soon renamed AB Banan-Kompaniet to sound more Swedish. The company is described as Sweden's oldest and Scandinavia's largest banana enterprise, with activities spanning cultivation, transport, ripening, and marketing of bananas in Sweden. In its early decades, Banan-Kompaniet was a pioneer of modern food marketing in Sweden, among the first companies to run regular full-page color advertisements in the weekly press, some designed by the well-known artist Robert Högfeldt. Initially bananas were unloaded at Nybrokaj in central Stockholm, with storage on Tunnelgatan. In 1927 the company inaugurated a new building in Stockholm's free port, giving it direct access to its own quay facilities and state-of-the-art American-style banana ripening rooms capable of receiving up to 20,000 banana stems. During World War II no bananas were imported into Sweden, but the company was one of the first in Europe to resume imports after 1945. In the 1970s and 1980s banana ships became rare in Stockholm's free port as fruit arrived by rail from European ports and was packed in cartons at harvest rather than shipped as stems. The 1927 facility became outdated, and between 1994 and 1996 a comprehensive renovation of the building and installations was carried out in cooperation with the Stockholm City Museum because the structure was heritage-listed. After modernization, AB Banan-Kompaniet operates 18 state-of-the-art ripening rooms and weather-independent truck and rail ramps, with a total of six ripening facilities in Sweden. Since 2005 AB Banan-Kompaniet has been a subsidiary of the American Dole Food Company. It also distributes bananas from competitor Chiquita. Swedish banana consumption grew from an average of 0.1 kg per person per year in 1910 to about 17 kg in 1998, one of the highest per-capita consumption rates in the world outside growing countries.

AB Banan-Kompaniet was founded in 1909 in Gothenburg by the Norwegian Carl Mathiessen as "The Banana Company AB." The name was soon changed to AB Banan-Kompaniet to sound more Swedish. The company was one of the first in Sweden to use regular full-page color advertising in the weekly press, with some advertisements designed by the renowned artist Robert Högfeldt. Initially, bananas were unloaded at Nybrokaj in central Stockholm, and storage was located on Tunnelgatan, a cross street off Sveavägen. In 1927 the company inaugurated a new building in Stockholm's free port. This gave it direct access to its own quay facilities and highly modern banana ripening rooms built according to American design. The warehouse could receive up to 20,000 banana stems. During World War II, no bananas were imported into Sweden, but after 1945 the company was one of the first in Europe to resume banana imports. During the 1970s and 1980s, banana ships only rarely called at Stockholm's free port. Instead, deliveries arrived by rail from European ports. Bananas were no longer shipped as stems but were packed in cartons immediately after harvest, remaining in them until reaching the retailer. The 1927 facility was not suited to this new distribution model, and the ripening rooms had become outdated and inefficient. Because Banan-Kompaniet did not want to leave its classic free-port location, a comprehensive renovation of the building and installations took place between 1994 and 1996. Since the building was heritage-listed, the reconstruction was carried out in cooperation with the Stockholm City Museum. After modernization, AB Banan-Kompaniet has 18 state-of-the-art ripening rooms and weather-independent truck and rail ramps. The company operates a total of six ripening facilities in Sweden and has been a subsidiary of the American Dole Food Company since 2005. It also distributes bananas from competitor Chiquita. In 1910, each Swede consumed an average of 0.1 kg of bananas per year; by 1998 this had risen to about 17 kg. No other country in the world, apart from the growing countries, consumes more bananas per capita.

• 2005

  Became a subsidiary of the American Dole Food Company.

• 1994

  Began comprehensive renovation of the free-port building and installations, completed in 1996.

• 1945

  One of the first European companies to resume banana imports after World War II.

• 1927

  Inaugurated a new building in Stockholm's free port with modern ripening rooms.

• 1909

  Founded in Gothenburg by Norwegian Carl Mathiessen as "The Banana Company AB."

Sweden's oldest and Scandinavia's largest banana company, with a heritage brand and modern ripening infrastructure.

• Bananas

• Ripened bananas

• Banana distribution services

1. 1AB Banan-Kompaniet on Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Banan-Kompaniet on German Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3AB Banan-Kompaniet on Dole Swedendole.se