1930–1956: The Waldenström era

With Martin Waldenström as the new CEO of Gränges, a completely new era began, one in which he gathered power around himself and was even succeeded by his son Erland. With him, Gränges got a manager who better mastered negotiation techniques, which would come in handy in a period that was characterized by even greater protectionism and planned economy, but also by armaments efforts and a new world war. Swedish ore would once again be at the center of various political advances and trade policy was characterized by the "selfish neutrality policy".

After the war, reconstruction in Sweden began quickly, and Swedish companies were ready to increase production. It was not just Gränges that dominated its industry in the domestic market and needed to go abroad to grow. Boliden, SKF and Electrolux were other examples. For Gränges Management, the peace also meant that discussions about the state's redemption of LKAB resumed.

Image: Aerial photo of the Grängesberg area from 1932. Image from the Railway Museum.