The story of Partner

Originally a rock drill factory, AB Bergborrmaskiner in Mölndal, Gothenburg, started development of an entirely new product in 1949. The result – named Be-Bo after the factory – was the first Swedish chainsaw ever. During the 1950s, Be-Bo became the leading chainsaw brand in Sweden and greatly helped empower the mechanisation of forestry i Scandinavia.

In 1954, the factory introduced a follow-up to Be-Bo, called Partner C6. The name seemed to stick, and from then on all new models were called Partner. Partner C6 was followed by the international success of Partner R11 and X21 and shortly thereafter, the company too was renamed AB Partner.

During the 1960s, Partner became the leading chainsaw manufacturer in northern Europe, with a steadily increasing export quote. The company extended its product range to go-kart engines and petrol powered cutting machines, an invention wholly developed at the factory.

Several world-firsts

Innovative Partner models of the late 60s and early 70s featured several world-firsts, such as chainbrake and heated handles. Continuing sales success lead to the building of a big new factory, a wide and ambitious range of chainsaws was started, and the number of employees reached its highest level ever.

At the end of the seventies, all three Swedish chainsaw manufacturers, Partner, Husqvarna and Jonsered, were bought by Electrolux. The new owners decided that Partner from now on was to be marketed solely as a semi-pro and hobby brand.

A complete garden range

In 1990, Partner presented a complete range of petrol-powered garden machines. In addition to chainsaws and brushcutters, the range included several lawnmowers and garden tractors, along with a first for Europe – the garden vac. The brand’s transformation into a consumer brand was thereby complete.

The new range soon proved to be a success. Among the best-sellers were the tractors and a lightweight trimmer called Colibri. In 2003, the brand introduced lawnmowers with large rear wheels in Europe, a rare design development for this product category. In 2006, Electrolux disposed of its garden brands, including Partner, and they were all collected in the newly formed company Husqvarna AB.