Editing SKF (section)

=== Initial growth and expansion ===


The startup and growth of SKF depends not only on technical inventions but also on industrial and corporate management strategies and power. Axel Carlander was a co-founder of SKF as a co-owner and member of the board of Gamlestadens Fabriker AB, which corporate policy provided conditions for experimenting with the new bearing models and the startup of SKF, and also he was the first chairman of the board of SKF who applied successful managerial strategies to the company startup and its development during the first 30 years. He graduated from the Gothenburg Trade Institute in 1886 and he is second generation industrialist with education and significant managerial experience in the field of economics, trade and industry. He developed his industrial and corporate strategies as co-founder and chairmen of the board of leading companies in Gothenburg, as co-owner and board member of the trade and textile company Johansson & Carlander and Gamlestadens Fabriker AB; co-founder and first chairmen of the board of SKF (1907– ); co-founder and first chairman of the board of shipping companies Swedish American Mexico Line ‘SAML’ (1911– ) and [[Swedish American Line]] ‘SAL’ (1914– ); board member of [[AB Volvo]] (1917– ); chairman of the City Council (1923– ); co-founder, donor and first chairman of Carlanderska hospital (1927– ), as well as board member of other companies, banks, associations and foundations established for the benefit of business and society. SKF grew as a global company because of his successful industrial and corporate managerial strategies for its startup and growth during the first 30 years - for example in 1930 the company had 12 factories with 21,000 employees, two-thirds outside Sweden.  

The main corporate strategies of SKF have always been focused on the development and maintenance of the manufactured bearings and the manufacturing bases. As an exception, in 1917 AB Volvo was established at SKF to construct an innovative type of car with the implementation of new bearings. In 1926, the subsidiary automobile company Volvo was founded as an engineering project by Assar Gabrielsson, Bjorn Prytz and Gustaf Larson, and separated as an independent company in 1935. With this innovative startup project, SKF once again contributed to the Swedish and global machine industry development. 

Axel Carlander was CEO of SKF from 1907 to 1937 and died in 1939. Sven Wingqvist was CEO of SKF from 1938 to 1953. Sven Wingqvist and Marcus Wallenberg were co-founders of [[Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget|Svenska Aeroplane Aktiebolaget]] (SAAB AB).   

By 1912, SKF was represented in 32 countries and by 1930, a staff of over 21,000 were employed in 12 [[manufacturing]] facilities worldwide with the largest in [[Philadelphia]], United States.  

SKF began its operations in India in 1923 by establishing a trading outpost in [[Calcutta]]. The early operations involved the importing of automotive bearings. SKF India Ltd was incorporated in 1961 following a collaboration between AB SKF, Associated Bearing Co. Ltd and Investment Corp. of India Ltd. In 1963, SKF set up its first bearing factory in [[Pune]], Maharashtra.<ref name="livemint.com">{{cite web |last=Mishra |first=Ashish K. |date=11 November 2014 |title=SKF and the business of movement |url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/HIXqvf8wM848UX9RBAQ0xK/SKF-and-the-business-of-movement.html |access-date=2 October 2017 |website=Livemint.com}}</ref>

[[Assar Gabrielsson]], SKF sales manager, and [[Björn Prytz]], Managing Director of SKF, were the founders of [[Volvo]] AB in 1926.  In the beginning, the company functioned as a subsidiary automobile company within the SKF group.  SKF funded the production run of the first thousand cars, built at [[Hisingen]] in [[Gothenburg]], beginning in 1927. SKF used one of the company's trademarked names: AB Volvo, which derives from the Latin "I roll", with its obvious connotations of bearings in motion. The ownership of Volvo lasted until 1935, when the last shares were divested.[[File:News. Red Cross Restaurant BAnQ P48S1P05587.jpg|thumb|left|SKF office in [[Montreal, Quebec]], Canada, in 1940]]