The project:

The story of CTEK began in 1997 when Creator was working on a job within battery charging. As part of that project a new system for chargers was produced, which in many ways changed the way charging and battery maintenance was perceived. When Creator’s customer was acquired by an American conglomerate, Creator suddenly found themselves without a customer, yet with a patent and a revolutionary product. As the product had great potential, Creator decided to form a business concept for the product and hence the CTEK company was formed.

“The cornerstones of the business concept were and are a deep understanding of batteries and electronics, combined with a solid insight into how the products are used and will be used,” says Börje Maleus, MD of CTEK.

By means of a close dialogue with customers and users, Creator closely analysed what the product’s use looked like and what it would look like over the coming years. This knowledge was then used to further reinforce the offer in connection with the launch of the second generation of battery chargers.

“What Creator realised perhaps more than others was that the key to success lies in understanding how the product is used and will be used in the future. We risked thinking outside the box and starting thinking long term. What is happening on the market today is important, but what happens in five years is just as important if you want to retain your position,” explains Börje Maleus.

The solution:

Traditionally, battery chargers had been used as a solution to a problem, in this case a dead battery. With Creator’s solution, focus was instead on preventing it from dying.

“It was very much about action rather than reaction, prevention instead of just fixing a problem. The new battery charger was basically like a vaccine rather than a plaster. With this new proactive perspective, circumstances changed and the product took on completely different characteristics. It could, for example, be made much smaller, lighter and water-resistant,” continued Börje Maleus.

With the second generation of battery chargers in 2002, sales began to seriously pick up speed and in the following years the company’s turnover doubled and even tripled. An important part of the success was the marketing and the patent-related elements which ran parallel to the development of the product the whole time.

The result:

What makes CTEK’s battery charger so special? Safety, simplicity and flexibility are three key words which apply to all products and solutions that CTEK develops and sells today. Not only do the battery chargers meet today’s high standards of battery maintenance, but they also take into consideration the future needs of a group of users which is constantly growing.

In terms of sales, CTEK is a success. Since the beginning, over a million chargers have been sold in 47 countries, and on every continent. Today, CTEK is a reliable OEM supplier (original parts supplier) to many of the world’s most prestigious car and motorcycle manufacturers. Among them, classic quality brands such as Maybach, Mercedes, Porsche, Harley Davidson, Aston Martin and Bentley have decided to use CTEK’s chargers together with their own trademark. Even Ferrari and Lamborghini are supplied with CTEK chargers. Today, the company has operations in the USA and China. The head office and development operation are however still located in Vikmanshyttan in Dalarna, Sweden.

“In order to take the risk of challenging conventions, you have to have a solid knowledge of your field. And that is exactly what Creator had. When you have the basic knowledge, other opportunities arise to see things differently. And the results can then surpass even the highest expectations,” concludes Börje Maleus.