CARL BECHEM Scandinavia (CBS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. Over the past twenty years, the company has grown into a reliable partner for high-performance lubricants across Scandinavia. This special anniversary also marks the beginning of a new era: CBS is bringing a new CEO on board and transitioning into the future with a clear vision and fresh momentum under the new name “CBS 2.0.”
From strong foundations to continual growth
Carl BECHEM Scandinavia was founded in 2005 based on a partnership built on mutual trust and extensive industry experience. CBS commenced operations alongside the Swedish co-founders Niklas Svanbring, Jan Stenberg, and Lennart Älvero: without any revenue, but with a clear commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainable profitability, and long-term growth. Values that the company has preserved to this day. CBS successfully established itself over time through long working days, determination, and an unwavering faith in personal, reliable customer relationships.
The expertise of CBS in metalworking has made it a valued supplier to major industrial suppliers in southern Sweden. CBS lubricants are now part and parcel of the value chains of many well-known companies. This growth arose out of consistency and perseverance but not by taking shortcuts or making grand gestures. Or as the co-founder once put it: The success of CBS can be reduced to a simple formula—one percent luck, one percent talent, and 98 percent perseverance. This attitude is deeply rooted in the corporate culture at CBS.
20 years of CBS—a success story is celebrating its anniversary
Today, CBS can look back on two decades of continuous, profitable growth. It has recorded annual growth rates of between five and 15 percent since being founded—due to clear objectives, personal responsibility, and customer-centric thinking. In 2022, CBS became a wholly owned subsidiary of CARL BECHEM GMBH. By 2023, the company had already reached annual sales of approximately SEK 100 million. Behind the company’s figures stands a dedicated team that ensures tasks are carried out reliably each day. And we’re taking this principle into our next chapter—with a round anniversary and a change of generation at the top of the company.
A fresh managing director—and the dawn of a new era
Niklas Svanbring, who has spearheaded the company since its inception, will pass the torch to Fredrik Bräutigam during the company’s anniversary in 2025. Fredrik combines experience and strategic growth planning with a practical, down-to-earth leadership style. “We do not promise you everything under the sun,” he explains. “Instead, we focus on doing the simple things right—day in and day out. This means treating people with respect, being punctual, providing timely feedback, keeping our promises, and—if something does happen to go awry—holding ourselves accountable and finding a solution alongside the customer.” Fredrik believes that this reliability in everyday life is what sets CBS apart and is what creates trust, which is key for building customer relationships over the long run. He is not a fan of big words. Instead, he values tangible results. “We rarely ask for everything at once in new customer relationships. Instead we ask for a chance to show our capabilities with a test. And when we do that, the business often grows along with the customer. We gradually gain trust, deliver results, and create sustainable added value.” It’s a mentality that is twice as convincing. For one, it perfectly complements the values of the company’s history: persistence, professionalism, and a focus on customers. Secondly, it provides a solid foundation for an effective launch into the future. And thus to the company’s enduring success.
An eye on the future—CBS 2.0
CBS is turning over a new leaf with CBS 2.0. This new phase isn’t a revolution, but rather a targeted path toward further growth—based on proven strengths, but with a clearer structure and longer-term strategy. Under Fredrik’s leadership, CBS will continue to build on its strong standing in Sweden’s metalworking sector while continually investing in the expansion of its specialty lubricants business. Establishing a more balanced, widely diversified company with stable profitability and the clear ambition to double sales over time will be the objective. Rather than rapid breakthroughs, progress should be made through continuous, customer-focused development. Fredrik sums it up: “We believe in what we do. We know that we set ourselves apart from the competition, and we want to be a dependable partner for our customers over the long term. That is why we keep going after the first setback. One ‘no’ is not a definitive no for us—we keep at it, come back, and show that we mean business.”
Shaping the future together
Albeit now part of a strong international group, CBS remains true to its roots and will carry forward the values of a family-run business into the future: personal responsibility, trust and team spirit. CBS 2.0 stands for a future where clarity, common goals, and a pragmatic approach take center stage. And even though many things have changed, one thing remains the same: An enduring promise to do the right things the right way, each and every day.