Ratos

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Ratos AB is a Swedish private equity company listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker RATO B). It was founded in the 1930s by the Söderberg family and is still controlled by them. The name comes from Ragnar and Torsten Söderberg.

Ratos began as a holding company for the family’s businesses, including Söderberg & Haak, and at one time owned stakes in Stora Kopparberg, Gränges, and Esselte, plus a steel division. It went public in 1954. In 1979 its steel unit Tibnor was sold to SSAB as part of industry restructuring. The company then expanded into new areas such as transport companies, Scandic Hotels, and Dahl International (plumbing). Sven Söderberg was CEO during this period.

The financial crisis in 1992 reduced profits, and Urban Jansson became CEO as many subsidiaries were floated or sold. Under Arne Karlsson, Ratos was transformed into a private equity company. Magnus Agervald became CEO in July 2016, replacing acting CEO Lars Johansson.

In 2019, Ratos sold its Adelswärdska house, the head office building on Drottninggatan in Stockholm, to the National Property Board of Sweden because of stricter safety requirements in that area near government offices. The building had originally been bought by Söderberg & Haak in 1938.

Today Ratos remains a publicly listed private equity group, with Per-Olof Söderberg as chairman and Jonas Wiström as president and CEO.