Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of homeware giant IKEA, passed away peacefully at his home in Sweden on Saturday (January 27) following a short illness. He was 91.
Ingvar was born in 1926 in Småland, a province in southern Sweden. At the age of 17 he founded IKEA: the business that became his lifelong commitment. For the past 30 years he did not hold an operational role within IKEA, but continued to contribute to the company in the role of senior advisor, sharing his knowledge with staff.’
In a statement, IKEA said: ‘Ingvar was a great entrepreneur of the typical southern Swedish kind: hardworking and stubborn, with a lot of warmth and a playful twinkle in his eye. He worked until the very end of his life, staying true to his own motto that most things remain to be done. Ingvar will be missed and fondly remembered by his family and by IKEA and Ikano co-workers all over the world.’
Torbjörn Lööf, ceo and president of Inter IKEA Group, said: “We are deeply saddened by Ingvar’s passing. We will remember his dedication and commitment to never give up, to always try to become better, and to lead by example.”
Jesper Brodin, ceo and president of the IKEA Group, commented: “We are mourning the loss of our founder and dear friend Ingvar. His legacy will be admired for many years to come, and his vision – to create a better everyday life for the many people – will continue to guide and inspire us.”
Lars Thorsén, ceo of Ikano Group, added: “Ingvar’s extensive knowledge and engagement over the years have been a huge source of inspiration. His heritage is always with us and we will continue to constantly search for new and better ways – to find solutions that no one else has thought of – and to do great things for the many people, together.”
