7 To be able to meet all orders, Axel had to move out from the upstairs floor and build a small carpentry workshop elsewhere on the property. From there, he manufactured everything from furniture and water pumps to car parts made of wood. After ten years in the workshop, Axel made his first carpenter bench, which later became the Sjöbergs hallmark. Swedish schools began to order benches during the 1950s. At that time, Axel’s sons took over the company and built a new factory to rationalize production. In addition to the benches, in the factory they manufactured kitchen and church furniture, as well as stairs. In 1959, one of the sons went to the United States to show a miniature carpenter’s bench to a curious audience. The interest was so great that a full-scale carpenter’s bench was sent across the Atlantic and it eventually ended up at a design exhibition in Sacramento. And what a success it was – a gold medal for good design, and a completely new market for Sjöbergs. The carpenter’s bench in miniature format that made its way across the Atlantic. OUR STORY Above left: Loading the carpenters benches to be sent on their way to Ethiopia in 1968. Bottom left: Torsten Sjöberg next to the then bestselling BS122. Right: In 1960, the carpenters bench that won the gold award for good design was exhibited in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcwMjg=