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Built to Last: Inside 50 Years of Beamex, Precision and Disruption

Beamex / Resources / For a safer and less uncertain world / Beamex 50 – CEO article

Reaching a 50-year milestone is significant in any industry. Especially in the calibration industry where accuracy is everything. For Beamex, it has meant continuous evolution and an ability to anticipate the next big shift in the market. These traits have made the company a global leader in calibration solutions with over 15,000 customers in 140 countries.  

So, what is the secret to building a brand that lasts? That’s the question we posed to CEO Jan-Henrik Svensson, and Fredrik Wikström, Chair of the Beamex board, at Beamex head office in Pietarsaari, Finland. 

“We don’t think about legacy,” says Jan-Henrik early in the conversation with modest confidence that suggests Beamex is more focused on what’s ahead than what’s behind. “For us, it’s about making sure we have a great team in place that drives us forward. What matters is that we’re making the world safer and less uncertain, one traceable measurement at a time.” 

“To do that requires solid, clear and low-key leadership,” adds Fredrik while stressing the importance of being pragmatic. “We’re building Beamex into a strong, independent brand by being realistic, strengthening resilience and staying ahead of challenges. I say building and not built, because I see it as a continuous process.” 

Fredrik Wikström, Chair of the Beamex board and Director of Sarlin Group, and
Beamex CEO Jan-Henrik Svensson.

Failing fast is not for us 

In a world where even the smallest error in calibration can lead to significant consequences, Beamex commitment to precision has earned the trust of clients across industries such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, and energy. But trust isn’t built overnight, and as Fredrik reflects, it’s something the company has earned through decades of dedication to quality and transparency. 

“Calibration is a serious business,” emphasises Fredrik. “Many technology companies talk about failing fast. That is not for us. Working with such critical industries as we do, we must be very precise about the capabilities of our technology and how they help our customers. That requires us to approach innovation in an entirely new way” 

“Everyone makes mistakes,” says Jan-Henrik. “The key is to make sure that we learn from these mistakes and that they never go all the way to the customer. So, our R&D, our agile ways of working and the culture of learning we have, all of it centres around getting as close to the customer as possible, understanding their current needs, solving their challenges, and constantly getting better.”  

In February 1984, Beamex merged with Oy E. Sarlin Ab, becoming a subsidiary of Sarlin.

Anticipating the next big thing

That said, both Fredrik and Jan-Henrik acknowledge that the world is a vastly different place from when Beamex first started. A rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, major technological disruptions, and the threat of misinformation have made the operating environment tougher to predict. Succeeding requires more than being competitive. It requires the ability to sense the next big shift.  

“The founder’s vision was always to create a global brand that improves the lives of calibration technicians while ensuring reliable measurements and traceability,” explains Jan-Henrik. “The principles of performing calibrations have not changed but the technology that we use today is generations apart, leveraging state-of-the-art tools such as AI and Big Data.” 

“We need to stay ahead in technology by closely choosing what to develop and bringing it to our customers as fast and as easy as possible,” adds Fredrik. “We’re not just selling products; we’re solving problems.” 

Jan-Henrik recalls a time in the early 80s when a Beamex partner in Australia was driving the breadth of the country, around meeting customers and providing direct feedback to Beamex HQ in Finland. “We’ve always invested in getting to our customers,” he explains. “The fact that we have 15,000 customers today is a direct result. We cannot dial back on this and are investing in big data to understand them even better.” 

“If you look at our current portfolio, we have not set out to be a calibrator manufacturer or a software company or get into services because everyone is talking about it,” stresses Jan-Henrik. “Everything we do comes from our customers’ needs and has evolved from it. Our focus is on creating solutions that meet our customers’ current and future demands.” 

The promise of the future 

As Beamex looks to the future, two trends loom large on the company’s radar – Sustainability and digitalisation including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Customers across every industry have been investing tremendous resources into figuring out how to tackle both these trends, and Beamex is well-equipped to help them on their journey.  

“We’re entering a time of enormous opportunity,” declares Jan-Henrik. “Sustainability continues to be a key concern across industries, and the rise of digitalisation with AI as a driver is creating new demands. Most companies are at different maturity levels when it comes to leveraging these trends and we are perfectly prepared to help them navigate the changes that are expected to come about, especially in terms of calibration.” 

This isn’t just lip service. Beamex has been integrating sustainability into its product development for years, designing products to support the circular economy through better reliability, modularity, easier maintenance and more compatibility with a wide range of instrumentation. The digitalisation of calibration processes and systems has also been a major focus for many years, and now, Beamex is diving headfirst into AI and data-driven insights. The company is in the process of launching several projects that use AI to improve calibration, build a better product and reduce inefficiencies.  

 “AI is going to revolutionise the way we think about calibration,” says Jan-Henrik. “Our customers are generating more data than ever before, and AI will help them make sense of it. We see a future where calibration isn’t just about a set of tools, but entire calibration programs managed through AI. In the future, we may even offer ‘service models,’ where we use AI to help customers manage their entire calibration process. It will be an evolution of where the industry is going and what our customers need.” 

“We are not afraid to say no to our customers,” says Fredrik. “We have at times refused certain features or products and worked with our customers to identify what is essential and what isn’t. We don’t get carried away by trends. Rather, we look at the big picture and seek to provide solutions that offer true and deep customer value.” 

“People drive the success of Beamex”  

As the conversation continues, both Jan-Henrik and Fredrik give special mention of the culture at Beamex, something that had helped the company endure for 50 years, while allowing for its unique brand of innovation. 

“Tina, our People & Culture lead, often reminds us that it’s the people who drive success, not the company itself,” says Jan-Henrik. “And I couldn’t agree more. We’ve created a culture that’s based on engagement and customer-centricity. That’s been a huge part of our growth.” 

Fredrik agrees, adding that Beamex culture is what allows it to navigate internal and external challenges. “We embrace healthy friction,” he says. “Disagreements and different viewpoints are what push us forward. It is part of how we innovate. We turn that energy into a positive force for the company.” 

He credits this culture with giving Beamex a competitive advantage. “To truly benefit from our technology, customers often have to change the way they manage calibration. That takes a strong culture on our end,” he explains. “Our culture helps our people be more open to nuances, better able to present their thoughts and ideas and enable them to see the big picture.” 

Jan-Henrik hopes this culture endures and prospers. “We need the organisation to be flat enough that nobody is afraid to voice their opinions and ideas, no matter how crazy it is,” he says with a smile. “When I started, we were small enough that I knew all people by name. Now we are so much bigger and as we grow as a global technology company, I want our culture to remain fearless and curious.” 

The next 50 years 

Both leaders are clear about their vision for Beamex future which is to be recognised as a leader in the calibration sector. 

“That means we need to learn to speak their language even better,” says Fredrik. “Whenever the topics of measurement, calibration, and trustable data come up – I hope to see Beamex being mentioned. We need to be the thought leader across more markets and industry segments.” 

Here, Jan-Henrik feels data will play a key role in the company’s evolution. “Our customers are generating more calibration data than ever before, and they need to leverage that data. AI, digitalisation, and perhaps even ‘XaaS’ business models are the directions we’re heading in.” 

As the conversation wound down, we asked both leaders to describe their vision for the next 50 years of Beamex in one word.  

 “If I had to describe the next 50 years in one word, it would be ‘precision’,” Jan-Henrik says thoughtfully, “Everything we do must be about ensuring accurate, reliable measurements to create a less uncertain world.” 

Fredrik smiles. “For me, it’s ‘trust.’ That’s the foundation of everything we’ve built, and it will guide us into the future as we build a safer world.” 

Calibration Excellence Since 1975

Beamex celebrates 50 years of providing a better way to calibrate. We remain committed to driving the industry forward with precision and innovation. Over the past five decades, we have consistently evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.

Our journey has been defined by a focus on making the world safer and less uncertain through accurate, trusted measurements.

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