The Dunker Interests has a share majority. Trelleborg has two classes of shares: Series A shares with ten votes each and Series B shares with one vote. All Series A shares – 28,500,000 – are owned by the Dunker Interests. On December 31, 2023, the Dunker Interests also owned 400,000 Series B shares. In total, this corresponds to 11.3 percent of share capital and 55.8 percent of votes.
What is the Dunker Interests?
The Dunker Interests consists mainly of two foundations: the Henry and Gerda Dunker Donation Fund No. 2 (the “Donation Fund”) and the Henry and Gerda Dunker Foundation (the “Foundation”), created through testamentary disposition by the founder of the Helsingborg and Trelleborg rubber production plants, Henry Dunker, and his wife Gerda. In addition, the two foundations control three limited companies: Henry Dunkers Förvaltnings AB, Förvaltningsaktiebolaget HD and Aktiebolaget Hevea.
Shares in Trelleborg are allocated across these five legal entities.
What is the role of the Dunker Interests?
The main task is to monitor and develop Trelleborg AB, which is the most important asset of the Dunker Interests. This is primarily effected through two members of the company’s Board. Henry Dunker also very clearly stated in his will his wish that ownership should be retained in the form of a foundation.
How are the returns from the Dunker Interests used?
Part of the annual net yield of the Donation Fund is added to capital, and the remainder is then disposed of by the City of Helsingborg to be used, as stated in the will, for “an independent purpose beneficial to the citizens of Helsingborg.” The Dunker Interests cannot influence how the City uses the funds, provided that the City of Helsingborg fulfills the purpose of the will. The role of the Dunker Interests is to manage the capital in the best possible way in accordance with Henry Dunker’s will and to ensure that the City of Helsingborg can use it for purposes that fall within the scope of the will.
Part of the returns from the Donation Fund are also paid to Henry and Gerda Dunker’s siblings, nieces and nephews and their children (the “Beneficiaries”), though no more than three generations, after which this part of the returns is also paid to the City of Helsingborg.
The Foundation’s returns are used in their entirety for the operation of the Dunkerska Nursing Home, housed in Henry Dunker’s former private residence in Helsingborg, Villa Hevea.
Payments from the Dunker foundations, SEK M
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Helsingborg City | 85.2 | 81.2 | 72.8 | 16.1 | 65.4 |
| Beneficiaries | 47.5 | 50.4 | 49.7 | 11.5 | 46.7 |
| Villa Hevea | 23.1 | 22.8 | 16.0 | 0 | 15.3 |
| Total | 155.8 | 154.4 | 138.5 | 27.6 | 127.4 |
What has the City of Helsingborg used the money for?
Over the years, the funds have been used to build Helsingborg City Theater, Kulturmagasinet at Fredriksdal, stands at the Olympia football stadium, Dunkers Kulturhus and Helsingborg Arena.
How is the Dunker Interests governed?
The Dunker Interests is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of six members. The first members of the foundations were appointed in Henry Dunker’s will. When someone leaves the Board, the remaining members elect a new member, with the restriction that at least three members must be resident in Helsingborg or its vicinity. Ragnar Lindqvist is Chairman. The other members are John Abrahamson, Anders Dahlvig, Henrik Lange, Bengt Kjell and Gunilla Fransson. Trelleborg AB’s 2024 Annual General Meeting re-elected Henrik Lange and Gunilla Fransson the company’s board. Göran Pelvén is responsible for the management of both foundations and is also CEO of Dunker Interests’ companies.
How does the Dunker Interests exercise its ownership in Trelleborg?
The Dunker Foundations has two members on the Trelleborg AB Board. They are, in turn, members of the Board’s Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee and Finance Committee.
The Dunker Foundations’ representative on Trelleborg AB’s Nomination Committee is normally also the Chairman of the Committee.
What dividends have the Dunker Foundations received from Trelleborg in recent years?
The Dunker foundations' dividend from Trelleborg, SEK M
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| 173.4 | 159.0 | 144.5 | 0 | 137.3 |
Can the Dunker Interests sell its shares in Trelleborg?
The main task of the Board of the Dunker Interests is to develop, nurture and protect Trelleborg AB. Henry Dunker had the foresight to write in his deed of gift that “in the event of an urgent necessity” the original assets, may be “divested or otherwise converted into other values.” However, this is conditional upon a unanimous Board and approval from both the City of Helsingborg and the supervisory authority, meaning the County Administrative Board.
The provision obviously leaves some room for interpretation, and the Dunker Interests’ Board must, if necessary, interpret and apply the provision on a case-by-case basis, taking into account that Henry Dunker wrote his deed of gift in 1953.
Do the statutes stipulate that the head office should always be in Trelleborg?
No, there are no such provisions. Rather this is governed by the Articles of Association, which currently stipulate that the Board of Directors must have its headquarters in Trelleborg. To change this, a decision is required by the Annual General Meeting pursuant to the rules of the Swedish Companies Act.
Does the Dunker Interests have other ownership interests?
In addition to ownership in Trelleborg, the Dunker Interests has a substantial securities portfolio but has no dominant ownership in any other company.
To contact the Dunker Foundations:
tel. +46 42 18 33 55