Twenty years of Logent: How early leadership laid the groundwork for today

Logent Group celebrates 20 year anniversary in 2026.

As Logent celebrates its 20th anniversary, we spoke with former CEOs Mats Steen and Kurt Liljergren about the years they spend shaping the company’s direction and identity. Their reflections offer insight into a transformative period of change, one that continues to drive Logent today.

Under their guidance, the company grew from a temporary staffing firm to a more structured, full-service logistics partner. This transition reflected not only shifting market demands but also a concerted attempt to professionalise operations, explain the value proposition, and plan for long-term growth.

Both prior CEOs had substantial leadership experience and deep industry knowledge from senior roles at major logistics companies. During their tenure, Logent experienced significant growth and organisational development, strengthening its entrepreneurial culture while establishing a more robust and scalable structure.

As they reflect on their path, they state, "We were competitors in the logistics market for many years. Soon enough, however, we found ourselves sitting on the same side of the table, creating a new success story together at Logent.”

During their conversation, they reflect on the defining moments of Logent and on what they hope today’s employees will carry forward, underlining that what truly made Logent unique in the logistics sector was its strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

The early days – culture that shaped us

When Kurt Liljergren joined Logent in 2011, the company had been in operation for about five years. He recognised both the company’s potential and its underlying vulnerabilities. He was drawn to Logent’s strong growth ambitions, bold entrepreneurial spirit, and non-hierarchical culture. Commercially, the business was thriving and growing but sustainable growth required a stronger foundation. Liljergren initiated the work to professionalise the organisation and expand into contract logistics.

Steen took over the CEO role in 2015 while staffing still accounted for a big part of the business. The strategically important logistics operation was growing in its early days but at that time, the company’s cash flow issues had escalated into a critical financial situation. Working closely with the board of management, Steen contributed to strengthening financial governance and profitability management, as well as the acceleration of logistical development, laying the groundwork for long-term sustainable growth. 

During this period, the company introduced clear strategies for each business unit and strengthened its central organisation to support decentralised operations. The result was a structure that continues to define the company today, ensuring alignment, control, and scalability.

A key factor behind this transformation was the extraordinary commitment of the organisation's people. Interviewees consistently emphasised the strong feeling of community, strong entrepreneurial spirit, and collective responsibility. Employees supported one another and stood firmly behind strategic decisions, even during challenging times.

“A pragmatic trial-and-error approach was part of the organisation’s DNA early on, but the approach later became more systematic," Steen explains.

Initiatives were promptly executed, altered as needed, and continuously improved, demonstrating adaptability that, in his opinion, became a core source of resilience.

The goal was to ensure that the company consistently met its promises. It actively looked beyond its industry, benchmarking best practices from other sectors and using relevant ideas to strengthen operational efficiency and quality.

A clear value proposition

Logent’s success was built on a clear, results-driven value proposition: guaranteed, measurable logistics cost reductions of over 10% for its customers. Once validated, Logent implemented the changes and assumed operational responsibility.

As Liljergren explains, “Our strength was demonstrating to customers, in concrete numbers, how much their setup could be improved. This approach decreased perceived risk while clearly demonstrating our operational capability.”

Positioned between consultancy and operations, this model reduced customer risk, proved capability in practice, and scaled into long-term engagements, later extending to transportation management with the same performance guarantees.

 

Growth and milestones

Logent’s early years were mostly devoted to consulting. In the 2010s, the company gradually turned its focus to operational logistics services.

A significant milestone in this strategic change was gaining Volvo Cars as the company’s first outsourced logistics assignment and true contract logistics engagement. This win marked the start of a new chapter for Logent and had an immediate financial impact as the company developed.

Transport management gained further momentum around 2013–2014, followed by a pivotal ownership change when Adelis Equity Partners acquired a major stake. This gave financial strength and strategic clarity at a time when logistics outsourcing in the Nordic region remained underserved in comparison to more mature markets such as the United Kingdom. Logent identified this gap early on and was well-positioned to capture growth as outsourcing adoption increased.

As volumes increased, particularly due to the rapid rise of e-commerce, automation became essential. Logent was early to adopt semi- and fully automated warehouse solutions, enabling cost control and scalability. This strategy was exemplified by the Ängelholm warehouse project, which expanded in parallel with the customer’s online growth and became fully automated by 2017.

Growth remained disciplined and demand-driven rather than geographically aggressive. Expansion followed major customer wins and service development, with Sweden as the core market and selective entry into Norway and Denmark. Along with organic growth, acquisitions and merger possibilities were pursued in markets with high long-term potential, resulting in a scalable platform for continued success.

In 2019, when Adelis Equity sold Logent to its current owner, Stirling Square, the company had nearly doubled in size and established good profitability.

 

A distinct market position

At the time, few competitors in the logistics industry combined strong consulting skills with the capacity to implement and run the solutions they designed. By integrating advisory expertise with operational responsibility, Logent filled a clear gap in the market.

A central element of this model was customisation. Rather than providing standardised solutions, Logent created dedicated logistics setups tailored to each customer’s specific needs. This enabled scalability as volumes and complexity increased, while maintaining operational efficiency and control.

 

 

Agile logistics outsourcing provides customer value

The company’s first outsourced assignment serves as clear evidence of its evolution. What began as a restricted engagement evolved into a full contract logistics collaboration and long-term partnership, marking an important turning point in the company’s growth.

As volumes increased and facilities reached capacity, Logent delivered a new solution under significant time pressure. Through redesign, rapid scaling, and precise coordination, core operations continued without disruption. It was about leadership and culture, not just structure and technology. Commitment, desire to invest, calculated risk-taking, and standing firm on contractual promises were decisive factors. By combining careful analysis with bold guarantees and rapid execution, Logent delivered results that larger, more rigid organisations often struggled to match.

This same agility now defines Logent’s approach. Scalability is built into solutions from the start, and operating models are continuously adjusted to align with changing volumes and performance demands, ensuring both flexibility and long-term stability.

 

A message to today’s team

Liljergren and Steen wish the current team well and express their strong confidence in the company’s future growth, entrepreneurial energy, and success. In an increasingly multinational and complex industry, they highlight the value of strong networks and the need to remain proactive, consultative, and entrepreneurial to capture the best opportunities.

As the company celebrates its 20‑year anniversary, Steen highlights that long-term success is built on strong values, dedicated people, and a solid foundation. Liljergren sums up the shared mindset with a message that continues to lead the organisation:

“Everything is possible—never say that we have a problem—we have a possibility here now.”

 

 

For 20 years, Logent has partnered with customers to turn logistics challenges into opportunities. We look forward to exploring how our tailored solutions can support your business. 

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