Univern - en del av Swedol

What Univern - en del av Swedol does

Tools Norge AS, operating as TOOLS (with Univern as a private-label sub-brand under the Swedol banner), is Norway's leading supplier of tools, workwear, personal protective equipment, and industrial consumables, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Scandinavian conglomerate Alligo. The company serves professional tradespeople, industrial and construction companies, and government and municipal buyers through an omnichannel model comprising a nationwide physical store network, direct e-commerce at tools.no, on-site Smart Service vending solutions, and value-added services including ReCare workwear washing, torque wrench calibration, custom printing and embroidery, hose pressing, and training. Its assortment spans more than a dozen core categories, supported by six own private-label brands (Univern, Gesto, Award, Ampro, Balance, Björnkläder) and over 500 skilled advisors nationwide. Revenue is generated through transactional hardware and consumables sales supplemented by recurring managed services, with B2B customers served through enterprise procurement integrations (EDI, Punchout) and SAML 2.0 single sign-on via AlligoExtID_NO; the parent group holds an EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating.

Name

Univern - en del av Swedol

Legal name

Tools Norge AS

Website

https://univern.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TOOLS Norge AS (Univern - en del av Swedol) is Norway's leading supplier of tools, workwear, PPE, and industrial consumables, serving professional tradespeople and industrial buyers through nationwide stores, e-commerce, on-site vending, and managed services, as a subsidiary of Alligo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Tools and Workwear Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Modeling Tools & Workshop Equipment (Knives, Airbrushes, Compressors) (CRALAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Uniforms & PPE (Foodservice) Wholesale (AFAIALAL)

Keywords

• Industrial tool distribution
• Workwear retail
• Personal protective equipment
• Industrial consumables
• B2B tool supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Skedsmokorset

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. B2B Distribution of Tools, Workwear and PPE: Sale of tools, workwear, personal protective equipment, industrial consumables, and machinery through retail stores and e-commerce to professional tradespeople and businesses.
2. Services (Smart Service, ReCare, Calibration, etc.): Ancillary services including on-site Smart Service vending, ReCare workwear washing service, torque wrench calibration, printing and embroidery on workwear, hose pressing, and sewing services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Univern (part of TOOLS Norway / Swedol, a subsidiary of Alligo) is Norway's leading supplier of tools, workwear, and personal protective equipment (PPE), serving professional tradespeople and industrial customers through a nationwide store network and the tools.no e-commerce platform. The company combines a broad multi-category catalog (workwear, PPE, hand and power tools, welding, electrical, hydraulics, industrial consumables, vehicles/garage, lifting, oil and chemicals) with private-label brands (Univern, Gesto, Award, Ampro, Balance, Björnkläder). It supplements product sales with value-added services including Smart Service on-site vending, ReCare workwear washing, torque wrench calibration, custom printing and embroidery, hose pressing, sewing, and training.

Product overview

TOOLS (Univern - en del av Swedol) is Norway's leading supplier of tools and workwear, operating as part of the Alligo group. The company offers a broad portfolio combining core product categories (workwear, personal protective equipment, tools and machines, electrical equipment, welding, industrial products) with value-added services (Smart Service vending solutions, ReCare workwear care, printing/embroidery, hose pressing, torque wrench calibration, training). The company also markets private label brands including Univern, Gesto, Award, Ampro, Balance, and Björnkläder. The offering is structured as a multi-category retail platform with both physical stores and online presence, supported by over 500 competent advisors and nationwide store coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Univern: Own brand of tools and workwear products under TOOLS
• Gesto
• Award
• Ampro
• Balance
• Björnkläder

Products and services

• Smart Service (On-site Vending) On-site vending solution and inventory management service that places a 'store directly on the work floor' at customer workplaces, enabling quick access to tools and consumables at the point of use. Targeted at enterprise customers managing large workforces.
• ReCare (Workwear Washing and Management) Comprehensive washing and service solution for workwear that ensures clean, safe, and sustainable workwear at all times without unnecessary administration or hidden costs. Targeted at enterprise customers seeking outsourced workwear lifecycle management.
• Custom Printing and Embroidery on Workwear Custom printing and embroidery services applied to workwear and garments, typically for company branding, logos, or employee identification. Targeted at business customers purchasing workwear.
• Hose Pressing (Slangepressing) Professional hydraulic and industrial hose assembly and pressing service for customers needing custom-length or application-specific hoses. Targeted at industrial and trades customers.
• Torque Wrench Calibration Professional calibration service for torque wrenches to ensure measurement accuracy and compliance. Targeted at professional tradespeople and industrial customers requiring calibrated equipment.
• Training Courses (Kurs og opplæring) Educational courses and training programs including company-customized courses for business customers covering tool usage, safety, and related topics. Targeted at business customers needing workforce training.
• Sewing Services (Sømtjenester) Sewing and repair services for workwear garments. Targeted at enterprise customers seeking to extend the life of issued workwear.
• Univern Private-Label Brand (Tools and Equipment) Univern is a private-label product line offering tools and equipment sold under the TOOLS Norway umbrella, positioned alongside other own brands such as Gesto, Award, and Ampro. Targeted at professional tradespeople and industrial customers seeking value-oriented branded products.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Norges Hyggeligste Håndverker (Norway's Friendliest Tradesperson Award)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerTOOLS Norway has been the exclusive sponsor/partner of the 'Norges Hyggeligste Håndverker' award since its inception, running for over 10 years. The award recognizes outstanding tradespeople in Norway, serving as a key brand-building and community engagement initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solar Group (Solar A/S): Danish-headquartered technical wholesale and MRO distributor serving installers, contractors and industrial customers across the Nordics. Comparable as a Nordic-focused multi-category B2B distributor with overlapping tools, electrical and workwear adjacencies.
• Toolstation: European trade-focused tools, workwear and consumables retailer (part of Travis Perkins). Direct competitor in the small-tradesperson tools/PPE retail category, with a comparable store-plus-web model.
• Ahlsell: The largest Nordic MRO and industrial supplies distributor serving professional tradespeople, industrial companies and public-sector buyers with a very similar product mix (tools, PPE, workwear, consumables). Closest direct comparable given shared Nordic geography, B2B/professional customer base and multi-channel distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Screwfix (Kingfisher): UK trade tools, workwear and consumables retailer owned by Kingfisher. Comparable in trade customer focus, broad assortment and multi-channel distribution, and a benchmark for how far trade retail can scale in a single market.
• MSC Industrial: Large US-based metalworking and MRO distributor serving industrial customers with cutting tools, PPE and supplies. Comparable as a multi-channel industrial tools/consumables distributor to professional B2B buyers.
• Würth: Global leader in tools, fasteners and consumables distribution to professional trades, with deep Norwegian presence and a strong value-added-services model. Larger and broader incumbent, but directly comparable in core product categories, customer segments and direct-to-trades GTM.
• Grainger: US-listed MRO industrial distribution leader serving businesses with tools, PPE, workwear and facilities supplies. Useful benchmark for the public-market MRO/distributor financial profile, even though its geographic focus is North America.

Others

• Swedol: Sibling brand and direct workwear/tools retail banner within the Alligo group, serving Swedish professional customers. Noted as a peer because it operates the same private-label playbook and similar store-based distribution model in an adjacent Nordic market.

Regional players

• Rexel: Global electrical products distributor with a Norwegian presence. Comparable as a multi-channel B2B distributor of technical consumables where Tools Norge also plays (electrical installation, lighting, accessories), and a benchmark for Nordic MRO adjacencies.

Emerging players

• Hilti: Premium power-tools and consumables manufacturer with a strong direct sales/service model to professional construction customers. Overlaps in power tools, jobsite services and embedded customer relationships, though with a manufacturer-led rather than distributor-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/univern-as

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Univern - en del av Swedol