Our history
Camp Scandinavia is a family business, and our mission is to help improve the quality of life for people with permanent or temporary disabilities. That, along with the Allard family's focus on education and product development, has built a company where we truly live by our motto Support for Better Life!
1925
Germa
Camp Scandinavia was founded in 1954, but our history dates to 1925, and the company AB Germa. Germa, a corset shop, produced and sold figure clothes and underwear. In the early 1950s, the company further developed its business idea. A collaboration with orthopaedic doctors was initiated, and product development and production were directed towards support corsets.
1954
Camp Scandinavia is born
In connection with this, Germa encountered the American company Camp Inc., which specialised in functional corsets for mainly orthopaedic needs. In 1954, a license agreement was signed, where Germa manufactures the corsets with a license from SH Camp. The newly established company Camp Scandinavia AB handled the corsets' distribution and sales with Bertil Vinberg as owner.
The end of the 1960s brought female emancipation and the introduction of the pantyhose. This meant there was less need for corsets as figure garments or fastening stockings. Germa gradually phased out figure wear and underwear in 1972. The earlier decision to focus on orthopaedic support corsets proved successful. The development of support corsets continues, and new products such as neck collars and mitellas are added. Germa remains the group's corset production unit until 1995.
Education - a key to success
At Camp Scandinavia, we realised the importance of close cooperation with orthopaedic engineers, doctors, and physiotherapists.
Therefore, we employ trained physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and orthopaedic engineers/technicians as product specialists instead of pure salespeople to meet customers with the correct terminology. The role of a product specialist includes training and providing technical support for our products and their unique features to ensure that they are used to their full potential.
In 1972, Camp Scandinavia moved to Helsingborg. Here, the head office is built up, with warehouses and various support functions such as customer support, finance department, marketing department, HR, IT, and quality department. We are still here today!
Expansion in neighbouring countries
International trade looked very different at the end of the last century. Moving products across Oresund meant a lot of work in customs handling. So, a decision was made in 1970 to set up Camp Scandinavia in Denmark with a warehouse to facilitate customs handling for Danish customers. However, with the EU and the Oresund Bridge, this activity was discontinued in 2012. The Finnish company was created in 1979 and thus has its 45th anniversary this year. Exactly ten years later, we started Camp Scandinavia in Norway.
1980
Some tough years
In the 1980s, a collaboration was initiated with Amoena, a company that developed a breast prosthesis based on silicone. The partnership became significant, and sales via Camp led to Scandinavia becoming an area where Amoena gained a powerful market position. After several years of joint work, Amoena decides to leave the collaboration. The loss of Amoena, representing a significant part of our sales, leads to major problems. In 1995, the company was forced to lay off several people.
1983
Change of ownership
Bertil Allard took over as CEO of Camp Scandinavia in 1983 at the same time as Camp Scandinavia's then-owner, Bertil Winberg, sold the Scandinavian business to Camp Inc. Camp Scandinavia thus went from being a licensee to being a subsidiary, limited to the Scandinavian market. In 1996, an opportunity arose for Bertil Allard to acquire the Scandinavian business, and once again, we became a Swedish-owned company with Bertil as owner.
The new Camp Scandinavia - part of Allard Support for Better Life
Changes focused on the core business characterised the first years in the new Camp Scandinavia. Export, i.e. sales outside Scandinavia, became possible as we were no longer limited to our home market. We could therefore develop products for an international market.
ToeOFF®
1997 saw the introduction of our groundbreaking ankle and foot orthosis - ToeOFF®. With the help of our old Camp friends, we managed to successfully introduce the product internationally.
2003
The Allard group is born
When Bertil took over Camp Scandinavia, we got the rights to use the established name Camp in Scandinavia, but we did not have the rights to use the name in other markets. Therefore, we needed to create a new brand for the international market. After processing many different ideas, we introduced Allard International. Today, Allard International manages the sales of our products through external distributors in more than 30 countries around the world.
2006
Peter Allard
In 2005, we started Allard USA to intensify the promotion of ToeOFF® on the American market. In 2006, Bertil Allard's son Peter took over the company and formed the Allard Support for Better Life group. In the coming years, we will focus on gaining sales through our own sales companies and developing our own production.
2007
Own production units
Our composite production subcontractor goes bankrupt a few years after Allard USA's launch. A strategic decision is made, and the family decides to buy the bankruptcy estate. In 2007, Allard Support became the owner of its most crucial subcontractor, now Allard Manufacturing. Today we produce everything from drop foot orthoses to X-ray tables and components for speedboats in the factory. The acquisition was successful and led to the start-up of more production units. In 2010, we built up Allmay Bodywear in China to produce our textile orthoses and in Ireland, we acquired Boston Brace Europe, where we now produce, among other things, back orthoses according to individual measurements and scanning. The unit in Ireland also served as a springboard to our current company, Allard UK.
Meeting the patients
In recent years, Allard Support has focused on providing knowledge and expertise throughout the entire chain, from product development to the product reaching the patient.
2015
Camp Pro, Camp Clinic & Camp Mobility
In 2015, we started Camp Pro in Sweden, a complete orthopaedic clinic, today with clinics in Stockholm, Södertälje, Uppsala and Skåne. Camp Pro offers a unique concept in orthopaedic technology and rehabilitation where patients can get help with their entire treatment, from initial examination to fitting of aids and rehabilitation.
In 2016, we also introduced Camp Clinic in Finland and Denmark, a company specialising in personalised medical rehabilitation aids and related solutions.
During the same period, we had the opportunity to take over Invacare's distribution in Finland. We started Camp Mobility, a business focusing on technical aids. Here, we sell and customise everything from wheelchairs and walkers to hospital beds and ramps.
Quality and sustainability
Our approach to Support for Better Life extends far beyond the products and services we deliver. We aim to contribute to an improved quality of life for people with permanent or temporary disabilities. Our quality system and work processes ensure high quality and constant development. We are certified according to ISO 13485:2016, 9001:2015 and 14001:2015.
We actively work to reduce our environmental impact throughout the development and manufacturing process. With the help of investments in solar and wind power, we have reached one of our milestones of being completely energy-neutral in our facilities. We remain committed to working with our customers and value their contribution to our product development. Collaborating with specialists, customers and patients for continued product development is one of Camp Scandinavia's most important focus areas.
Our future
With great curiosity and confidence, we look forward to continuing to grow and develop with our customers and partners. Thank you to everyone who, together with us daily, ensures that people with disabilities get an improved quality of life. Together, we all contribute to Support for Better Life!