Our company history

AKLA AB was founded 1 October, 1926. In 1931 Bertil Larsson, as the main shareholder became the managing director. In 1968 he was succeeded by his daughter Mrs Sigrid Qvennerstedt. Since June 2003 she is the chairman of the company and Mrs Eva Janmark from the 3rd generation is managing director.

1928 was an important year.
At this time factory-made medicine was less common. Doctors, dentists, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists made their own medical products with their own prescriptions. Many of these products have probably been the basis for subsequent factory-made medicines. In 1928 the well-known doctor, Lars Flodquist, made a throat lozenge. According to the advertisements it was said to be the best remedy for colds and coughs, hoarseness, bronchitis etc. Mr Flodquist decided on the name AKLA and the company soon realized the value of this new product. The AKLA pastille was very successful and provided the company with the means to continue the expansion.

In 1931 AKLA moved to Stockholm City Centre
The company took over a property in Stockholm where the factory was situated. The company remained there until 1969.

In 1933 the First Aid Bandage was created. It is now possible to see Mr. Larsson's intentions in specializing in dressing materials. 1935 became the breakthrough year for field dressings for the National Defence as well as for a large number of government institutions.

The product range, at that time, consisted of the following:

1. Dept. I medicine and chemical-technical products
2. Dept. II dressing materials
3. Dept. III pastilles, toffees, liqueur extracts, syrup, syrup extract and chewing-gum

The 1945 catalogue showed many empty price columns. The reason for this was naturally the lack of  raw material.

In 1949 the range of products consisted of more than 100 articles of which a quarter were dressing materials. New dressing materials were now developed and Bertil Larsson was among the first manufacturers to market cotton, plasters and wash swabs in small packages.
He also had the courage to break with the trend of making the dressing box into a kind of pharmacy.
The development of dressing material continued. After having consulted the National Board of Occupational Safety and Health and the Swedish Red Cross the range of dressing boxes was extended in the 1950s. The Swedish Civil Defence League confirmed and approved AKLA's First Aid box for a normal air-raid shelter.
The 1960s represented a marked specialsation in dressing material. At the beginning of the 1940s AKLA had already been manufacturing dressing material for the Swedish Automobile Association. AKLA then launched a dressing box for coaches with contents according to the directives of the National Board of Health. In co-operation with the Swedish Rescue Corps, many cars were equipped with First Aid materials from AKLA.

Since the 1970s when AKLA transferred its manufacturing from Stockholm to a new factory in Askersund, the company has specialized in developing, manufacturing and marketing of products  within First Aid and health care.