From Ulrikat’s Perspective
How Global Presence and Local Accessibility is key to customer success
When driving through Ekshärad it might be hard to imagine that there’s a global industry leader thriving in the Swedish forest. For Ulrika Ahlstedt, Managing Director of MPT Sweden and Global Marketing & Sales Director of Metal Powder Group, the strong local identity is a strength and a value when operating on the international arena.
Ulrika Ahlstedt has a strong connection to the community in Ekshärad and the surroundings but has always had the ambition to work internationally. Something that she’s been able to fulfil within Metal Powder Group.
“For me, being able to live in this area while working all over the world is a dream come true. I genuinely care about this community, which is why I think it’s so important that MPT is based here”, Ulrika says.
In June 2024, Ulrika expanded her role, adding Managing Director of MPT to her responsibilities of Global Marketing & Sales Director of Metal Powder Group.
“There are few women in this part of the industrial sector. So, of course, it feels great to step into a leadership role, and I hope it can inspire someone. But it’s also about showing that someone with roots in the area can do this – that recruitment doesn’t always need to come from the outside. If you want to, you can build a career in a smaller town in Sweden.”
“When it comes to MPT, it’s incredible to have the opportunity to work with so many qualified individuals, even though our core is in such a small community as Ekshärad.”
“As an industrial company in Sweden, you can’t limit yourself to just the local market if you have big ambitions. At the same time, there’s immense value in having local representatives who understand the local markets.”
The core for MPT has been the European market, but in the last five years, there has been a strong growth in Asia, Africa, and South America. Additionally, Metal Powder Group is strong in North America thanks to the sister company Chemalloy.
“These strong brands, MPT and Chemalloy, together make us the largest powder producer of our kind.”
“To grow, it’s been vital to find the right type of partners worldwide who represent our brand and values. We also have strong regional sales managers with deep expertise, perfectly aligned with our saying, Global Presence and Local Accessibility.”