AWARDS THAT FUEL ESBE’S DRIVE

We sat down with Peter Cerny to talk about what these awards mean to ESBE, how the company culture fuels success, and why development must never stop.

More than an award. A journey of continuous improvement
Being a Best Managed Company means that ESBE has undergone a thorough review each time the company has received the recognition. Together with a team from Deloitte, ESBE carries out an in-depth analysis identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
The work results in a detailed evaluation focusing on four key areas: Strategy, Capability and Innovation, Company Culture and Engagement, and Governance and Financial Performance.
The BMC award highlights the company as a whole and provides valuable insights that help the business continue to develop. Companies that, like ESBE, qualify year after year become part of a global family of successful businesses that share the same ambition to keep improving.

“The awards are, of course, great fun and a real honour, but they are not the goal in themselves. They are proof that we are doing the right things and a way of pushing ourselves to get even better,” says CEO Peter Cerny.
For Peter, it is all about strategy in practice, keeping the right direction over time and making sure the entire company works towards the same objectives, one step at a time.
He describes leadership as creating the right conditions for people to grow.
“I see my role as nurturing the soil and ensuring everyone gets the right conditions to develop. When we grow together, that is where our strength lies,” he explains.

A culture that sustains success
Behind the awards lies a strong company culture built on pride, commitment and responsibility. Every achievement is the result of people who care deeply about what they do and about each other. At ESBE, employees share a genuine sense of belonging and take pride in contributing to something bigger than themselves.
When the company performs well, the success is felt across the organisation; in the daily collaboration, the shared ambitions and the satisfaction of seeing hard work pay off.
Peter notes that success is celebrated often and gladly. Sometimes with cake, other times through extra funding for activities or health initiatives. At the Reftele headquarters, employees have access to a gym, exercise bikes and a personal trainer. In 2025, around forty employees have taken part in local races such as Göteborgsvarvet and Blodomloppet.
 

The fact that people choose to spend time together outside working hours is a clear sign of the company’s strong sense of togetherness.

A company with responsibility and optimism
For Peter, responsibility is about more than leading a business. It is about caring for the whole: the people, the organisation and the community.
ESBE has always had deep local roots in Reftele, where the company was founded in 1906 and where its headquarters remain.
“We want to be a positive example. ESBE’s owners think long-term and want the next generation to have the opportunity to take over. That is why we also contribute to making Reftele an attractive place to live and work,” says Peter.
At the same time, ESBE continues to look ahead. The goal of reaching one billion SEK in turnover is within sight, and the company’s European expansion continues with locally employed teams. Most recently, a subsidiary was established in England, joining existing operations in Germany, France, Italy and Poland. The United States is another market under careful consideration

An ongoing cycle of growth
For ESBE, improvement is a constant process. Peter compares the company to a garden that requires care: pruning, weeding and nourishment to yield new growth.
“We must never become complacent. Our aim is to develop and be a little better than we were yesterday, every single day,” he says.
And perhaps that is the real secret behind ESBE’s long-term success, not resting after victory, but finding joy in the continued journey of growth.