He was a strong influencer in the Finnish Plastic Industries Federation and the Plastics Association. Gary was one of the founders of the European Plastics Distributors Association and has served twice as chairman. Gary enjoyed meeting other people and liked to be at the centre of events. In addition to friends, Gary’s close circle included Liisa, five children and three grandchildren.
Founder of Teknolon Oy
He started as an entrepreneur in 1966 when he founded Teknolon Oy with Kaj and Lea Sundberg. Teknolon was a wholesaler specializing in thermo- and fibre-reinforced plastic. Teknolon’s real breakthrough began in 1978 when the head office was built in Kerava, which brought sales, warehouse, and production facilities under the same roof. The production facilities for reinforced plastics were the most modern of their time. Attention was paid, for example, to proper ventilation and the latest machines in the industry. In 1979, Teknolon went international when a joint venture with Kema Nobel (Akzo Nobel) was established in Sweden. The newly founded company Teknoscand Ab manufactured reinforced plastic products such as tanks and pipelines. The company group expanded in 1982 and 1983 when Teknolon acquired Oy Sul-Mu Ab, Strongplast and Tekso. As a result, Teknolon became Northern Europe’s largest manufacturer of dual laminates and reinforced plastic tanks and their pipelines. Gary sold the business group in 1985-1988.
Founder of Fluorotech Ltd
Gary did not retire. In 1991 he founded Oy Fluorotech Ltd with his sons. The company was a wholesale and retail company specializing in industrial plastics. The company’s employees were former Teknolon group members. A generational transfer in the company occurred in 1996 when Gary Sundberg became the board’s chairman, and his son Christian Sundberg became the CEO. In 2019, Fluorotech’s name was changed to Atolli. Today, Atolli is a distribution, installation and maintenance company for swimming pools, water treatment and industrial process pipelines with operations in Finland, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic countries.
Successful Football player at HIFK
Gary was also known as a football player. He started playing football at the age of nine in Vasa IFK, whose A-team was one of the best in Finland. After the family moved to Helsinki, Gary soon found himself at Helsinki IFK. He debuted at the age of 17 in HIFK’s A-team, had a long-playing career, and later served as the club’s chairman and Honorary Chairman. However, his proudest moment was when HIFK moved to the Finnish Football League in 2014. In addition to football, he enjoyed long-distance skiing and ran marathons. In later life, his great passion was golf.
Do you wish to send the family something to show your condolences, they ask you to donate to the Save the Children Finland organization’s account FI64 1017 3000 2107 27 (BIC: NDEAFIHH) and include Gary Sundberg’s name as a reference.