Atlas Copco

In 1873 Stockholm, as Sweden's railway system boomed, engineer Edvard Fränckel and his partners founded Atlas to manufacture railway construction equipment. The company quickly became a major engineering firm, but its journey was just beginning. A pivotal moment came in 1901 when Atlas started producing its own pneumatic tools and compressors, shifting its focus toward a new, expanding market. The company became Atlas Diesel in 1917 after merging with a diesel engine manufacturer. However, after World War II, the diesel engine business declined, and the company needed a new identity. In 1956, it was renamed Atlas Copco, a name inspired by a Belgian subsidiary, and began its global expansion with the acquisition of Arpic Engineering that same year. This marked a strategic move to focus on compressed air technology. Listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1920, Atlas Copco has grown through relentless innovation and strategic acquisitions. A significant recent event was the 2018 spin-off of its mining and construction equipment business into a new, independent company called Epiroc. This decision allowed Atlas Copco to concentrate on its core industrial customer base, focusing on compressor, vacuum, industrial, and power techniques. Today, Atlas Copco stands as a global industrial group, a testament to over 150 years of adaptation and technological leadership.