"The pace will be intense yet controlled. Several important, future-oriented projects at MEKO are taking shape simultaneously, and I am very much looking forward to it," says Pehr Oscarson.
The momentum at MEKO will remain strong – a pattern that has become familiar in recent years. As recently as 2018, MEKO was primarily active in Sweden and Norway. Since then, the company has expanded significantly with acquisitions in Denmark, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Today, MEKO is the market leader in Northern Europe, aiming to be the best partner for everyone who drives, maintains, or repairs cars. Many are familiar with some of MEKO’s locally renowned wholesale and workshop brands in these markets, such as Mekonomen, Meca, BilXtra, FTZ, Automester, Fixus, Inter-Team, and many more.
Strategic acquisition in 2024
In 2024, another acquisition was made – Elit Polska became part of MEKO, which consequently rose to the third position in the Polish market. This occurred as MEKO accelerated its efforts to increase profitability through its “Building a Stronger MEKO” initiative.
"2024 was the year we seriously began working on Building a Stronger MEKO, and we have seen clear results. We’ve observed gradual improvements in our adjusted operating margin, showing we are on the right track and have the right strategy," says Oscarson.
Tools for improved profitability
He emphasizes that improved profitability isn’t achieved through just one approach. MEKO works broadly, focusing on optimizations, efficiency improvements, investments, and refining product categories.
"An example of optimization in 2024 was the restructuring of the Norwegian distribution network through branch mergers," Oscarson explains.
"This simultaneously led to lower costs, fewer transports, and better availability for customers. Another example of investments is the decision to focus on new central warehouses with automated solutions for faster merchandise handling in Norway, Denmark, and Finland."
All central warehouse projects within MEKO are scheduled for completion in 2025, representing a significant change across several key markets. This transformation will streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve customer service.
Focus on supplier collaboration
Part of the work to build a stronger company also involves adjustments in purchasing. MEKO is the largest independent spare parts distributor in Northern Europe and makes substantial purchases annually across tens of thousands of articles. According to Oscarson, there’s untapped potential here.
"One focus area for us in 2025 will be to create closer collaboration with fewer but carefully selected suppliers. With them, we aim to work together more extensively than we do today to make both them and us bigger winners," he says.
The importance of joining forces
In other words, it’s about collaborating to create value. MEKO also prioritizes internal collaboration as a result of its acquisition strategy. In concrete terms, this means acquiring companies with strong local businesses – while simultaneously working across borders to create synergies that others find hard to achieve. This can involve anything from coordinated purchasing to leveraging joint product development.
"We will focus on joining forces more closely with our partners and internally to achieve more. And we will. There’s still more to do – and more to gain. It’s going to be an exciting year with milestones to achieve," says Pehr Oscarson.
