Logent turns 20 this year. For CEO Joel Engström, the anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the company’s journey from Swedish entrepreneur-led business to an international logistics group. But even more importantly, it is a moment to consider what should remain unchanged as the company continues to grow.

When Engström looks at Logent’s history, he sees three defining periods. The first was shaped by entrepreneurship and logistics expertise, combined with a strong belief in developing talent from within.

The second brought rapid growth and some hard-earned lessons. As the company expanded, it became clear that growth needed to be matched by stronger financial discipline, better contract management and clearer ways of working. Those years laid the foundation for the more structured business Logent is today.

The third chapter has been international expansion. During the past five years, Logent has grown from a Sweden-focused company into a group operating more than 40 sites across six countries.

”We have gone from a local entrepreneurial company to a more professional international organisation. That journey has shaped us, and now we are deciding what to build next.”
Engström joined Logent during this latest phase. After working in commercial roles and later taking responsibility for operations as COO, he gained insight into both sides of the business.

”It’s easy to sell something on paper. The real hard work is to deliver it in reality,” he says. ”Understanding the challenges we face every day while still keeping the customer’s perspective has been extremely valuable.”

What twenty years has built

Today, Logent operates across Northern Europe, but according to Engström, growth in itself is not the company’s most important achievement. What matters more is the expertise that has been built over time.

Twenty years of customer projects, operational responsibility and continuous development have created deep knowledge of how logistics works in practice. Running warehouses and supply chains efficiently is not enough on its own. Just as important is understanding a customer’s situation and designing a solution that supports their business.

”Over the years, we have become very good at designing solutions around each customer’s specific needs. That’s one of the things that sets us apart.”

As supply chains have become more complex and less predictable, customers have also started asking different questions. They want greater visibility, better control and stronger resilience when conditions change.

In response, Logent has expanded its role. What started with a narrow scope of independently delivered services has today developed into a more holistic supply chain support approach, helping customers identify risks and adapt to changing circumstances, while also improving performance.

The underlying idea remains the same. First understand the customer’s situation. Then build a solution around it.

The people behind the company

For Engström, Logent’s greatest strength can be summed up in one word: people.

From the beginning, the company chose to develop talent internally rather than constantly recruit experience from elsewhere. That meant giving people responsibility early and creating a culture where they learn and grow through hands-on experience.

”I am genuinely proud of what the people at Logent have built and what they deliver every day,” says Engström. ”The competence, the commitment and the way they show up for customers. That has not happened by chance. It has been built over many years by people who believe in what they do.”

That approach has also influenced how Logent has expanded internationally

As the company has established itself in Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium, the goal has never been to copy and paste a Swedish model into new markets. The values remain the same, but the way they are applied must fit local conditions.

”Combining our legacy and our roots with what we want to build for the future, and doing that across six different cultural settings, is one of the most complex and exciting things I am working on.”

What gives him confidence is seeing strong local teams across the organisation. Many have grown alongside the company and understand both its culture and its customers. That continuity, he says, is one of the most valuable things twenty years can create.

What must not change

Growth brings new demands, but Engström is clear about one thing he wants to preserve.

Speed.

One of Logent’s core values is being resolute: acting quickly and solving problems before they grow larger.

”As we grow bigger and broader, I don’t want to become a slower animal. I want us to be quicker, more responsive and better at acting before opportunities disappear.”

Maintaining that agility requires leadership close to the business. Rather than centralising decisions, Engström wants responsibility placed with people who understand their markets and customers.
Group-wide principles provide direction. Local teams make them work in practice.

Looking ahead

For Logent, the 20-year milestone is not only a moment to reflect on the past. It is also a chance to look ahead.

Engström believes the role of logistics will continue to grow in importance. Supply chains are becoming more complex, global uncertainty remains high and customers are looking for partners who can do more than deliver day-to-day operations.

”Customers increasingly need partners who can help them navigate uncertainty, not just improve efficiency.”

In five years, he wants the company to be recognised as a trusted reference point for logistics expertise: a partner that understands each customer’s situation, challenges assumptions when needed and builds solutions that work in the real world.

”I want Logent to step out from being a somewhat hidden challenger and become a well-known market reference for what excellent logistics looks like,” he says. ”We are still a relatively small player in a very large industry. But the quality of what we do, and the way we do it, is very impressive.”

Twenty years have transformed Logent in many ways. The business has grown, the service offering has broadened and the organisation has evolved. What remains unchanged is the importance of the people behind that development. They built the first twenty years of Logent and continue to build the next chapter.