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Grundéns – the near century-old Scandinavian apparel provider – broke through the $50 million mark in December despite a rollercoaster year of tough trading across the globe.
Reflecting on a pivotal year for the brand, CEO Nicolas Cederstrom Warchalowski told Angling International: “When we started 2024 we knew that we had something special brewing. But to achieve that milestone was an immensely gratifying moment. We pushed and pushed – and the team gave it everything they had. It was the perfect way to round off the year.
“The 9% global growth did not happen by chance,” said Warchalowski. “We’re a 98-year-old company, but we have the energy and drive of a start-up. We have doubled in size over the last five years and it’s all about staying laser-focused on what we do best – providing fishing apparel and footwear for people who fish and live to fish.”
And there is no chance of Grundéns resting on its laurels in 2025. “It’s all about upping our game to ensure we have the freedom to innovate and grow,” said Warchalowski. “We are investing in new pattern-making capabilities and strengthening our own apparel factory in Portugal to ensure our products perform exactly as intended – whether you are fishing in Patagonia or battling the harsh seas off Alaska.”
He added that service is also a priority. “On-time and full orders is the metric we live by. We need to deliver great products in the right conditions at the right time. It is one thing making world-class gear, but it is another ensuring it gets to the anglers and crews who need it when they need it. That is how we walk the talk in 2025.”
Grundéns made strides globally in 2024 with the opening of regional offices in both the EMEA and LATAM (Latin America) regions and distributing in 35 countries worldwide. “It is about being where our customers and shoppers are,” added Warchalowski. “We believe in a ‘foot on the ground’ approach – being at trade and consumer shows, holding clinics, listening, learning and responding to the needs of the fishing community.”
Another stand-out highlight of 2024 was winning three ICAST Gold Awards, a feat that speaks volumes to Grundéns’ ambitions to be an innovator in the industry. “We lost our voices during the awards ceremony,” Warchalowski says with a laugh. “Screaming our hearts out! For a small company like ours, this was a major moment.”
Particularly impressive was the recognition in the technical wading category. “It’s one of the hardest categories to break into,” Warchalowski explained. “To now be the number three wading brand in top US fly fishing stores – we are now gunning for the number two position in 2025—is a testament to our talented product development team and their relentless pursuit of excellence. It truly raised the bar.”
