Atlas Copco, recognized as one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable companies, today celebrates 140 years of industrial excellence with a range of activities in the more than 90 countries where it has its own operations.  Atlas Copco, which today celebrates 140 years as a leading industrial company, will in South Africa participate in various team building activities with all employees. These activities will be in a workshop format focusing on Atlas Copco’s core values and overall customer satisfaction. 

“Celebrating 140 years is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen customer focus and relations further, to translate our values into daily activities, and to capture synergies,” says Bernie Hanaray, Vice President Atlas Copco South Africa. “It is a great occasion to create pride among employees and to engender enthusiasm about future opportunities. Our history guarantees long-term industrial experience as well as innovative products and solutions to current and new customers, to suppliers as well as to current and future employees.” Also marking the 140-years since the company’s 1873 foundation, Atlas Copco’s President and CEO Ronnie Leten today is ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York, U.S.  The shares of Atlas Copco, the biggest industrial company by market capitalization in Europe’s Nordic region, are listed on NASDAQ OMX in Stockholm, Sweden, where the company is based.   

Other events around the world today include the inauguration of a new compressor manufacturing plant near Pune, India, a donation of  KUSD 60 (KSEK 390) to safe drinking water projects from Atlas Copco’s Water for All organization in the US, and several customer events in Australia. A podcast with an exciting audio history of this industrial icon is available for download on atlascopco.com/history. On the history section there is also a new e-book describing some of Atlas Copco’s many achievements during the past 140 years.Atlas Copco develops and supplies machinery such as rock drills, power tools, construction equipment and compressors to customers in industries spanning from automotive, mining and road construction to aerospace, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals. 

Last month, Atlas Copco earned a spot on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world list, the most prestigious corporate sustainability ranking. The Global 100 recognized Atlas Copco for its commitment to sustainable productivity and its work and achievements of doing more with less: For instance, the development of new innovative, highly energy-efficient products that save customers money and benefit the environment at the same time.  Atlas Copco’s long history is filled with cutting-edge product innovations. Highlights include introducing the first light rock drills in 1905, manufacturing the first portable air compressor that same year, introducing the world´s first serial-produced hydraulic breakers in 1966, and launching new error-proof and low-energy tightening tools. 

The landmark projects that Atlas Copco has been involved in are almost too numerous to mention. One is helping to build the Mont Blanc Tunnel across the France-Italian border, then the world’s longest highway tunnel, in the 1950s and 1960s.  In the 1980s Atlas Copco got a dinosaur species named after it – Atlascopcosaurus Lourdsi – in appreciation of the equipment and assistance the company provided that helped unearth the skeleton in Australia.  Atlas Copco has steadily expanded its global presence. It’s established own operations for example in Kenya 1936, in the United States 1950 and in India 1960, and last year added seven countries including Senegal and Tanzania. Atlas Copco now operates in more than 170 countries.

In 2013 Atlas Copco, ranked as one of the most innovative and sustainable companies in the world, celebrates 140 years of profitable growth. At the beginning the company made products for railways, but the core of Atlas Copco’s business dates back to the early years of the 20th century when the first compressors, tools and rock drills were manufactured. Today, the Atlas Copco Group has world-leading positions in these areas and many others. Atlas Copco supports customers in 180 countries with own operations in 90 countries. Read the story about a company that believes ‘there is always a better way’ on www.atlascopco.com/history.