SvenskaGavia is a family-owned investment company that, through long-term and active ownership, develops companies across multiple industries. Today, our largest holdings are in construction and real estate, greenhouse cultivation and sales of fresh herbs, as well as financial services and e-commerce. We invest in people and growth. We contribute with networks, industrial and financial expertise, and long-term financing to our companies. We believe the entrepreneur is the one who creates lasting value in a business. That is why it is important to us that the entrepreneur wants to remain working with us as owners.
Vision
“The next generation of family business.” Our vision is to be the next generation of family business in two ways: firstly, by being long-term—we plan for future generations when we invest and conduct business. Secondly, by contributing with businesses and supporting ideas that make the world better, more enjoyable, more interesting, more sustainable, and more developed for the next generation.
Mission
“Responsible ownership through the development of businesses and people.” Our mission is to build long-term business relationships to develop profitable growth companies together with entrepreneurs and management teams. We aim to be a responsible owner that works for the company’s long-term continuity and growth. We are deeply interested in the people behind the businesses, and for us it is equally important that individuals grow, since we believe that is a prerequisite for developing companies.
Why invest?
We enjoy new business ideas and are driven by creating the best possible conditions for profitability and growth together with skilled entrepreneurs. Our passion is to develop organizations and companies to reach their full potential. We are inspired by innovation that drives change and want to contribute to promoting business and entrepreneurship. In addition, we see strong opportunities for solid returns and a positive societal impact through capitalizing companies.
A family business that started in the food industry in the 1940s
Our history
Today, Gavia is an investment company, but it originates from a family business that began in the food industry in the 1940s.
Nordfalks
In the 1940s, Armin Mattsson and his colleague Hugo Lundgren purchased a small spice factory in Gothenburg called Nordfalks and established a limited company. Nordfalks AB invested in modern machinery, streamlined production, and began a close collaboration with ICA, which quickly became a major customer. Nordfalks grew year after year and eventually became the leading spice company in Sweden.
Santa Maria
In 1968, Armin’s son Lars-Olof Mattsson took over and for many years led the company’s expansive development. In 1989, he expanded the market to include all retail chains across Scandinavia, and in the 1990s the expansion continued into Europe. Of all the milestones during these years, the launch of Santa Maria Tex Mex was the most important. In 2001, Nordfalks AB changed its name to Santa Maria AB, aligning with its strong, well-known, and established brand.
Gavia
In 2011, Santa Maria was sold to the Finnish food group Paulig. In connection with the sale, Gavia was founded. We carried forward Spisa, which was the division for fresh herbs within the Santa Maria group. This marked the beginning of our journey toward becoming an ownership company investing in other businesses.
Investment strategy
Ownership stake of at least 10% and typically more than 20%. We primarily invest in unlisted companies headquartered in the Nordics. The majority of the companies we engage with should be characterized by strong growth. We act as industry generalists and therefore do not exclude any sector. Our main strategy is to grow with the companies where we hold a clear and active ownership role, such as Spisa Holding, Adapta Fastigheter, Alhem, and Factoringgruppen.
Gavia is an industry generalist. Our core competence is to be an active and responsible owner, independent of sector-specific expertise. We have therefore chosen to remain sector-agnostic. We have no limitation on holding periods. Each year, we assess the future return potential of our holdings and Gavia’s ability to contribute to their continued development.
Ownership model
The ownership model is determined case by case. In most cases, we should hold a clear and active ownership role. We stand for long-term commitment and are a stable owner. However, there may be situations where we no longer consider ourselves the best-suited owner, and in such cases, long-term commitment means divesting ownership in a responsible way.
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