Nordic Surface Innovation (NSI) is a great example of how a platform acquisition, combined with several add-on acquisitions, can create a new company with a broad and competitive offering. We spoke with Christian Claesson, Managing Director Sweden at NSI. In this interview, he shares insights into NSI’s offering, the strengths behind it, and how the collaboration with Tången works.
Own and partner brands under one roof
“To begin with, it’s important to point out that NSI is not a product brand in itself. What makes NSI unique is our House of Brands. This means that under NSI we have both our own brands – what we call Our Brands – but we also develop and manufacture tailored solutions for other brands, called Your Brands. In short, we provide products that other companies can brand with their own logos. This makes us a full-service surface treatment provider, both for our own brands brands and for industry peers. For NSI, it is important to remain brand-neutral, since we serve both traditional customers who buy from us, as well as other players in the industry,”
Christian explains.
He goes on to describe the transformation of the surface treatment industry in recent years, where competition has become tougher and it has become harder to differentiate purely on the product itself. The paint market, for example, is undergoing changes that make it increasingly important for producers to deliver customized products at optimized prices.
“Even if there are fewer opportunities to compete on the product content alone, there is still strong potential for development in other areas – with sustainability and environmental impact at the center. One example is the traditional Swedish slamfärg from Vadstena Färg – a sustainable product free from plastics – which NSI is now further developing and testing for new, innovative applications. A key strength of NSI is that we value Your Brands just as highly as Our Brands.”
Multiple brands under one roof
NSI’s brands deliver surface treatment products within five areas: paint, adhesives, water protection, lubricants, and cleaning. These products are used in buildings, machinery, industrial production – and even in more unexpected applications such as bed bases. An important part of NSI’s business is the strong development expertise at its production facilities, ensuring that the right product for each application is always delivered – with the right quality, at the right price, and for the right brand.
Tången as a trusted partner
For Christian, NSI is both an exciting and challenging environment to develop. Working with both own brands and industry peers’ products requires balance, and he highlights the importance of having reliable partners to turn to.
“For us at NSI, and for me personally, Tången’s competence Tången’s competence is a perfect match for our business. Per brings solid knowledge of the industry and long experience of running this type of company. Nina supports us in financial and strategic matters. I really appreciate the collaboration and the closeness we have with Tången, without it interfering with the daily operations. Another thing I truly value is the short decision-making path with Tången. It makes it easier to move a company forward when decisions are always within reach,” Christian concludes.
