Thomas Concrete Group is celebrating 70 years as a leading player in the concrete industry. Over the past decade, the company has made significant efforts in reducing the environmental impact of the construction sector by developing and using alternative binders to replace cement in concrete. Just in time for the anniversary, the company proudly notes that the average share of alternative binders within the group, is now 30 percent – a figure that continues to increase every year.
Since 1955, Thomas Concrete Group has grown from an entrepreneurial company into an international group with operations in five countries. In 2012, the company became the first in Sweden to introduce low-carbon concrete, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50 percent compared to traditional concrete. This development continues, and the company constantly invests in research on new, more sustainable alternative binders to cement, such as slags from the metallurgical industry, volcanic ash, calcined clays, as well as natural and manufactured pozzolans.
For a long time, the company has used alternative binders in concrete in the USA, Germany, and Poland. In Sweden, the dominance of the cement industry and the lack of alternatives have posed a challenge, but increasing sustainability requirements are now driving change. Today, alternative binders accounts for 30 percent of the total amount of binders in all the concrete that Thomas Concrete Group produces.
“Today, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50 percent in many of the construction projects we are involved in, and by as much as 80 percent in some cases”, says Hans Karlander, CEO and President of Thomas Concrete Group.
The company has supplied concrete for prestigious projects such as the West Link in Gothenburg and Karlatornet and has also initiated a collaboration with Boliden to develop a concrete based on slag from Boliden’s copper smelters.
“We see many new opportunities and continued strong development for our low-carbon concrete, especially through research on new cost-effective alternative binders that require less energy to produce”, says Hans Karlander.
Thomas Concrete Group has experienced strong growth, and in the past ten years, the company has quadrupled in size. Today, Thomas Concrete Group has a turnover of approximately SEK 12 billion, and with its 2,500 employees, it has become a strong global player.
“Much of this success stems from our founder, Martin Thomas, a true Swedish entrepreneur who was passionate about developing companies together with dedicated employees. We are still a family-owned company with a strong Team Thomas culture and innovation. The people in our company are the foundation of our success, and I hope this will continue to be the case for the next 70 years as well”, concludes Hans Karlander.
Thomas Concrete Group is a Swedish family-owned company that produces and distributes high-quality concrete products and services. The company was established in 1955 in Karlstad by Martin Thomas and today operates in the USA, Poland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. The headquarters is located in Göteborg. The Group has 2,400 employees and generated revenue of over SEK 12 billion in 2023.
