With effect from 1 October 2005 ÅF-Kontroll will take over all business within Force Technology Sweden AB relating to the inspection of lifting equipment.

The takeover will add a total of 15 new employees to the ÅF workforce in Sweden, stationed in Sundsvall, Stockholm, Västerås, Karlstad, Gothenburg and Jönköping. Under the terms of the agreement all current contracts and clients will be transferred to ÅF-Kontroll. The invoiced value of the assignments this takeover represents is approximately SEK 12 million per year.

"The acquisition reinforces ÅF-Kontroll’s position in the lifting equipment sector and moves us one step closer towards our aim of becoming the market’s number one name in technical inspections in Sweden," says Jörgen Backersgård, Managing Director of ÅF-Kontroll.

ÅF-Kontroll, with 230 employees and 22 offices throughout Sweden, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ÅF and offers inspection, testing, calculation, certification and training services. Much of the company’s work revolves around assuring its clients of a safe working environment and operational reliability. The business encompasses a broad spectrum of assignments, from inspecting nuclear power stations to safety checks on fairground attractions at the Gröna Lund and Liseberg amusement parks.