Transcript
Introduction
Matt
This is Matt Reustle, and today we are breaking down the Swedish industrial giant Atlas Copco. With a market cap hovering around 50 billion US dollars, Atlas Copco is a dominant player in the air compressor and vacuum pump markets. It's returned a 40X over the past 20 years for its shareholders. And to break down the business I'm joined by Stephen Paice, Head of European Equities at Baillie Gifford. Baillie has owned this business for four decades, and Stephen still has the handwritten research notes from the mid '80s so we thought it was a proper fit. We cover the rich corporate history, including how one family, the Wallenbergs, also referred to as the Swedish Rockefellers, have played such a major role in the history. We get an overview of pneumatic energy and the importance of the air compressor market. And we explore what makes this corporate culture so noteworthy to both insiders and outsiders. Please enjoy this breakdown of Atlas Copco.
Matt
Stephen, thanks for joining us on Business Breakdowns.