It often begins with a problem. An elevator has stopped. A spare part is missing. Someone needs to find a solution - quickly.
That very situation laid the foundation for Hissmekano.
The idea was simple: To make spare parts for elevators easier to find, order, and deliver.
In 1887, the year before the founder of Hissmekano, Samuel Thalin, was born, the international elevator company Graham Brothers started doing business in Stockholm.
When Samuel grew up, he became one of Graham Brother´s many elevator engineers. At the time, Graham Brothers completely dominated the Swedish market. Samuel traveled near and far to install and maintain elevators. During a business trip to Germany, he met Henriette, who would become his wife ant the mother of their four children.
Samuel’s first son, Sven, was born in 1913. In 1920, Samuel and his family moved from Hamburg to Norrtälje in Sweden, where he worked as an electrician. In 1929, the stock market crash occurred in the United States, which also drew Sweden into a period of recession and depression. In Stockholm, Samuel’s electrical contracting firm went bankrupt.
In 1938, he therefore started his own elevator service company. When jobs came in, his children helped in the business, which later operated under the name HISS-MEKANO.
In the late 1940s, Nore Amgren began working for Samuel’s elevator service company. Nore was not only an excellent employee but also the boyfriend of Samuel’s daughter Ingrid. After a while, the business was divided into a maintenance division and a manufacturing division.
Nore and Samuel continued to run Hissmekano, while Samuel´s son Sven, ran the maintenance operation. Thanks to Nore´s innovative spirit and know-how, Hissmekano flourished! When Samuel passed away in 1962, Nore took over.
Nore and Ingrid´s children – Lena, Anders, Carin and Lars – became shareholders. All of them worked for the company at one point or another, and Anders, who worked at Hissmekano from the time he left school, eventually became the CEO of Hissmekano. Nore continued to work for the company even though he was getting on in years.
After buying a plot of land in Täby, just outside Stockholm, Hissmekano moved in 1983 to its current address.
In 1989, the family received an offer to buy the company and a year later the deal was done. Nore, now 80 years old, decided to retire.
The trio who took over the company all had backgrounds in the elevator industry. They broadened the company’s horizons and extended Hissmekano´s operations, which until then had focused on manufacturing, to include working with international suppliers. The goal was to become a full-service provider and so the company developed its own control system, HM2, which was launched in 1997.
Hissmekano expanded, and the three-story addition to the building, with its own elevator, opened in 1999.
In 2003, Hissmekano was sold to the present owners. The new owners recognized the challenges involved in both managing and developing an operation with such a long and proud history.
In 2005, Hissmekano launched its first Webshop, followed the next year by the launch of its first product catalog. Both were well received, and the catalog became something of a standard reference work for specialists in the industry.
Nore Amgren passed away on July 3, 2006, exactly 96 years and 6 months old.
In 2007, Hissmekano opened its own factory in Estonia, where advanced CAD/CAM technology was used to manufacture elevator components.
In 2009, Hissmekano´s warehouse in Täby, was turned into a logistics center for distribution and manufacturing of elevator components for all of Scandinavia. In the same year, the second product catalog was produced and distributed to every customer, including those in other European countries.
In 2011, Hissmekano closed its control system operation to focus on the manufacture and distribution of elevator components and elevator doors. In 2012, Hissmekano achived ISO certification and launched the Hissmekano App as one step in its investments in mobile services.
In 2013 Hissmekano celebrated its 75th anniversary by releasing its third edition of the product catalog together with a road show that traveled all over the Nordic region.
In 2016, Hissmekano began its expansion into Germany, and by 2019, its international growth gained real momentum. Step by step, Hissmekano established a presence across Europe.
With growing demand and an increasingly broad international network, it became clear that the business needed to be closer to its customers beyond Sweden. The early years were marked by intensive travel, new collaborations, and a determined effort to understand the needs and conditions of different markets.
A key milestone came in 2021 when two German employees joined the organization and started working in field sales in Germany. Through their local engagement and market presence, they strengthened relationships with both new and existing customers. Their work also laid the foundation for the next major step: establishing a dedicated logistics center in the country.
The result was the logistics center in Niedernhausen, just outside Frankfurt - a strategically important location at the heart of Europe’s transport network. The facility has been in operation since March 2023 and today serves as a central hub for Hissmekano’s deliveries to customers across Europe. With shorter lead times, improved accessibility, and a stronger local presence, this establishment became a significant milestone in the company’s international journey.
In the summer of 2023, Hissmekano celebrated its 85th anniversary with a festive summer party in the Täby area – at the place where it all began with Nore and his family. The celebration reflected both the company’s history and the journey that had taken the business far beyond Sweden’s borders.
The anniversary was also recognized in Germany, where Hissmekano, together with its German customers, organized a traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration at the newly inaugurated logistics center in Niedernhausen. In this way, Swedish traditions related to the company’s international presence - a celebration of 85 years of history, relationships, and continued growth!
In the spring of 2026, Hissmekano took another step in its development by launching a new web shop. The platform is built on modern technology and designed to handle complex product structures, large order volumes, and high speed - without compromising accessibility or user-friendliness.
This initiative marks an important part of the company’s ongoing digitalization and its ambition to make it even easier for customers to work with Hissmekano, no matter where they are.
Today, Hissmekano has grown into an international company with hundreds of customers across Europe and around the world. Operations are based in Täby, Sweden, and Niedernhausen, Germany, supported by a network of customers and partners that continue to shape the company’s future. The goal remains the same as in the days of Samuel Thalin and Nore Amgren:
Regardless of model or year of manufacture, Hissmekano’s products ensure that elevators keep running.
“We are proud of our long and distinguished history and of how Hissmekano has, over the years, developed into a leading player in the industry. With innovation, international expansion, and the highest level of service - together with our own production and product development that complement our offering we continue to develop our business and contribute to the future of the industry.”
Ingvar Nybeson, CEO Hissmekano
Hissmekano has grown into an international company with hundreds of customers across Europe and around the world. Operations are based in Täby, Sweden, and Niedernhausen, Germany, supported by a network of customers and partners that continue to shape the company’s future. The goal remains the same as in the days of Samuel Thalin and Nore Amgren:
Regardless of model or year of manufacture, Hissmekano’s products ensure that elevators keep running.
“We are proud of our long and distinguished history and of how Hissmekano has, over the years, developed into a leading player in the industry. With innovation, international expansion, and the highest level of service - together with our own production and product development that complement our offering we continue to develop our business and contribute to the future of the industry.”
Ingvar Nybeson, CEO Hissmekano