The Unique Formula for the Success of Kitron Sweden

Scandinavian electronics manufacturing services company Kitron was founded in Norway in the 1960s, originating from other two, Statronic and Electric Bureau. Its presence in Sweden was established in 1999 and further strengthened in 2012, when its Swedish operations were consolidated in Jönköping. A new facility was opened there in 2017, with operations relocated to the site. Kitron Sweden in the article refers to this Jönköping site, with Stefan Hansson Mutas as its Managing Director, who holds a wealth of relevant experience prior to coming to Kitron from management positions at electronics and EMS companies.

Originally covering 8,000 square meters, Kitron Sweden has expanded by an additional 6,000 square meters due to remarkably fast growth in the Connectivity, Industry, Medical Devices, and Defence and Aerospace sectors, with particular strengths proven to be in applications such as communication, avionics, UAVs and C-UAS, surveillance and control systems, and more.

This growth did not happen by chance. In 2017, Stefan Hansson Mutas established a clear and precise strategy to drive growth at Kitron Sweden and develop partnerships built on trust and reliability. His innovative, agile mindset transformed how the site operates, and what began as a five-year plan has, due to its success, now been extended to 2030. Key objectives, including optimised vertical integration, the establishment of a focused supplier network, targeted recruitment, and a culture built around speed, became the foundation for significant, sustained growth at Kitron Sweden.

Vertical Integration: An Added Value

The strategy that Kitron Sweden developed was built around vertical integration, with a clear commercial proposition to every customer, both new and existing: to take full responsibility for their product manufacturing, not just the PCBAs. The process can start at the circuit board level, but the goal is always to move through the full five-step model of component sourcing and PCBA production, software flashing and testing, box build, final system assembly and testing, and delivery management to the end customers.

To make this ambition achievable, Kitron Sweden invested heavily in building a tight network of local mechanical suppliers and developing a thorough understanding of their machines and capabilities to deliver on customer commitments. This carefully curated network of suppliers has become essential to winning and retaining customers in high-level systems assembly, which is a strategy that remains under active development to this day.

Competence Shift and the Demand for Agility

Delivering on this vertical integration strategy required significant internal transformation. Targeted recruitment brought a flow of new people, skills and mentality, anchored by the core principle of speed, which is lived and breathed by Stefan and one that intertwines naturally with Kitron's values of engagement, commitment, and innovation.

In the EMS industry, the ability to adapt at remarkable speed is non-negotiable, and the organisation is structured by and for people who thrive under that kind of pace – those who understand that moving fast and thinking ahead is not a pressure, but a requirement. The Managing Director's philosophy on this is direct:

Alongside this cultural foundation, Stefan has championed a different approach to how responsibility is distributed within the organisation. The ultimate goal, towards which progress is made with small steps taken every day, is for management not to be involved in every detail and for customer-facing teams to take the wheel instead. With the idea of being dedicated to a single customer and owning the relationship and the daily operation, key account managers in particular are gradually assigned an expanded role with responsibility for pricing calculations, contract negotiations and daily production management, because ultimately, if they cannot do the calculation themselves, they cannot explain it or negotiate it with the customer.

Forward and Upward

The strong results at Kitron Sweden are a testament to Stefan Hansson Mutas's savvy and determined approach to transforming the site by adapting vertical integration with customers, building a robust supplier network, and addressing every aspect that needed attention, from competence shifts to rethinking how customer-facing teams take on responsibility. With speed setting the pace at every stage, Kitron Sweden's future looks bright, with a further 4,000 square metres planned and a clear strategy through to 2030 in place to meet anticipated demand.