Bona, a global leader in hardwood floor care and maintenance since 1919, is celebrating 100 years in business. A family-owned company and industry pioneer in creating products and processes to bring out the beauty in floors, Bona is celebrating this important milestone with employees, customers and partners across the globe.
“Over the last century, Bona has evolved from a supplier of floor wax to a global innovator of sustainable systems and practices that bring out the beauty of floors,” said Kerstin Lindell, CEO of Bona. “At the center of it all, we have embodied our values of passion, performance and pioneering in everything we do from our products to our company culture to our business practices.”
Bona’s founder, Wilhelm Edner, originally owned a small grocery shop in Malmö where among other products, he also sold bonvax, an agent which, when applied on the wood floor, created a polished and protective surface. Edner realized the potential of bonvax and incorporated Bona AB in 1919.
Since the early days of bonvax, Bona has pioneered some of the most important innovations in the industry. In the early 1970’s, Bona was among the first to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from hardwood floor finish and proved water-based finish as a reliable and durable alternative. Additionally, Bona was one of the first companies to insist on dust containment systems that remove carcinogenic wood dust from the air and environment during the hardwood floor sanding process. The company was also the first to offer a full system of waterborne hardwood floor finishing and floor care products certified for indoor air quality. To maintain high quality control and leverage sustainable alternatives when possible, Bona directly sources and innovates its own resins and polymers.
Today, Bona is present in more than 90 countries with almost 600 employees. The company is committed to developing the best performing products in the industry and maintains an ongoing curiosity for pioneering the next innovation for floors. While Bona’s heritage is in hardwood floors, the company will soon begin expanding its offerings into other hard surface floor categories.
“As we celebrate the importance of this milestone, it’s also exciting to look forward to tomorrow,” Lindell continued. “The next 100 years are poised for more expansion, new innovations and infinite possibility. And at the center of it all, Bona will remain committed to sustainable business practices and doing what’s best for our customers, partners, distributors and employees.”