Read more about what it’s like to work with us
Our businesses
Rederi AB Soya
The parent company, Rederi AB Soya, is a holding company owned by the Wallenius-Kleberg family. Rederi AB Soya is the first and oldest company in the family-owned group.
The company is a determined and active owner in three business areas in which the family has genuine interests. The areas fulfil the requirements for sustainability, that they should contribute to social development and that they should be or could become profitable in a long-term perspective.
Shipping
Wallenius Lines is an investor and active owner in the global shipping industry and has long experience of operating and commercially developing global RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) and logistics concepts. Today, the portfolio includes some of the world’s largest RoRo networks, listed Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA and Wallenius/NYK-owned United European Car Carriers (UECC).
Together with Swedish Orient Linien (SOL), the joint shipping company WALLENIUS SOL was formed in 2019, which transports products from the wood and paper industry in northern Sweden/Finland.
In December 2021, a joint venture was formed with Alfa Laval, AlfaWall Oceanbird, which develops wing sails for newbuilds and retrofits (explain retrofit) to ships.
Wallenius Marine offers a unique mix of services and products to its customers. The company’s expertise and services range from ship design and shipbuilding to ship management, covering the entire life cycle of a ship – from design and building, to the daily operation and finally the recycling of the ship.
Since the mid-1990s, Wallenius Marine has project managed and delivered almost 90 newbuildings and conversions.
Real Estate
The foundations of Soya Group’s property business were laid already back in the 1930s. Today, with just over 4,000 rental apartments in its portfolio, Wallfast AB is one of Stockholm’s largest private property owners. Approximately 1,500 of these apartments are located in Stockholm city centre, while its subsidiary Hässelby Hem owns and manages almost 2,500 apartments in Hässelby, west of Stockholm.
AB Cisterna, also a subsidiary of Wallfast, owns, among other things, the senior housing Björnbo on Lidingö. Wallfast manages Björnbo and has the ambition to carefully refine the residential area and expand it.
The subsidiary Wallfast Projektutveckling AB conducts extensive operations in the Stockholm area. In total, more than 2,000 apartments are on the drawing board at various stages of the planning process.
Wallfast began active environmental work at an early stage and was environmentally certified according to ISO 14001 as early as 2002. The environmental work is about reducing the environmental impact of the business. With the help of its own wind turbines and solar cells, Wallfast invests in securing fossil-free energy supplies for its properties.
Menhammar stuteri
Over the past 17 years (2007-2023), Menhammar Stuteri has been named Sweden’s most successful breeder of trotting horses with a total of 156 million horses. The greatest victory to date came in January 2014 when Maharajah won the world’s toughest race – the Prix d’Amérique.
The stud farm, which forms the core of the business, houses broodmares with foals, yearlings and stallions. Training and competition activities are managed at Yttersta, which is part of Menhammar. Animal husbandry is run in coordination with Menhammar Gård.
Menhammar gård
Menhammar Gård is a sustainable farm with a vibrant nature management programme. The unique collaboration between agriculture and nature management increases biodiversity on the land. The work on the farm strives towards fossil-free agriculture and, with the help of the latest technology and collaborations with knowledgeable actors, is well on its way.
Soya Group
The Group’s companies share the common service functions of Soya Group, which employs around 80 people. Centralising core service functions is a simple, cost-effective and tangible way to exploit synergies, share knowledge and benefit from economies of scale in many areas. Soya Group consists of the following divisions: Group Communications, Group IS/IT, Group Human Resources & Facility Services, Group Financial & Business Control, Group Treasury, Group Sustainability & Business Development, Group Digitalisation and Group Security.
Read more about our different companies and activities in our magazine Our Way.
Our history
About the entrepreneur Olof Wallenius
At the age of twenty, Olof Wallenius started a wholesale trading company. By then, he had dropped out of his studies before graduation to devote himself to what he was absolutely best at – doing business. For a few years, he traded in empty oil barrels, but developed the business further by filling the barrels with vegetable oil. When he became an agent for Karlshamns Oljefabriker in Karlshamn, he saw the opportunity to increase the volume of oil. A small tanker was purchased, named m/s SOYA and Olof registered a shipping company, Rederi AB Soya. Wholesaler Olof Wallenius became shipowner Olof Wallenius, who transported soya oil along the Swedish coast. This was the start of today’s Soya Group.
Today, the ambition to actively run all operations in a sustainable and long-term manner is a common denominator for the Group. Sustainability has long been a prioritised area and sustainability work is both visible and tangible.
About Menhammar
For more than seventy years, the estate’s lands have been home to one of Sweden’s most successful and renowned stud farms. However, the estate’s history stretches back centuries further. The lands around Menhammar have been cultivated for 800 years. Its attractive waterside location, Ekerö’s proximity to the city, and the fertile soil make Menhammar an ideal place for both horse breeding and agriculture.
At Menhammar Gård, the core of Menhammar Stud Farm’s operations, there are around seventy broodmares with foals, approximately eighty yearlings, and eleven stallions. Additional broodmares are located at nearby Granskog and Lindby on Adelsö. At Yttersta, also situated on Menhammar’s land, top-class training and racing activities are conducted under the management of trotting trainers Conrad Lugauer and Pasi Aikio. Both Menhammar-bred and other horses are trained here. In total, around sixty people work on the estate.
Social responsibility and sustainability
Ever since the Group was founded, concern for co-workers, business partners and the environment has been evident. The same approach characterises our operations today. The commitment and support is mainly focused on three areas: disaster relief, support for medical activities and support for young people. In addition, the group’s various companies are involved in a number of other areas, such as the environment, technological development and education.
‘For more than 25 years, Soya Group has focused on sustainability and our impact on the environment and society. We only invest in sustaintech-based solutions because they are ‘upstream’ solutions that solve problems without creating new problems.’
Jonas Kleberg, Chairman & CEO, Soya Group
Goals and strategies are developed and concretised in each company, and sustainability work follows a number of common group-wide principles:
- Environmental work must be conducted from a holistic perspective. We want to be a pioneer and show others what is possible to accomplish
- Everyone should work with upstream solutions. We aim to solve the root cause of the problem without creating new problems
- By optimising resource use, we all contribute to sustainable development and reduce the environmental impact of our activities
- All environmental work is based on the principle of continuous improvement. Environmental performance will be integrated with other business strategy objectives in each company
Read more about our social responsibility and sustainability work – www.oursustainableway.com
Our values
Soya Group has five core values. These are fundamental values that have characterised our business since the mid-1930s. At the turn of the millennium, they were set down on paper and have since served as a guiding star for all our companies in the Group.
We are proud of that.
The core values are:
Pioneering spirit – We have the courage to try new ways, whether technical, organisational or financial, without risking the Group’s assets.
Long-term approach – We invest and look after our assets with a long-term perspective.
Social responsibility – As a co-worker, employer, partner and supplier, we have a responsibility towards the groups in society that we affect in various ways. We treat people, inside and outside the organisation, with respect.
Environment – Whatever the activity, it shall be managed to gradually reduce its environmental impact. We solve environmental problems without creating new ones.
Quality – Everything we engage in will be carried out in a professional manner and with high quality while being cost-conscious.
Your Employment – Menhammar
Safe and Secure Workplace
At Soya Group, Menhammar Stuteri, we are committed to ensuring that your time with us is developing, safe, and pleasant. We believe that good cooperation is the key to achieving this.
Soya Group has developed a number of group-wide policies that apply to all employees in the group’s companies and business areas. A group policy is a clear statement of intent within a specific area and the framework we adhere to in order to create a good and safe working environment.
The group’s security department (Group Security) together with the group’s HR department (Group Human Resources) actively work with managers and employees to ensure all employees’ right to a safe and secure working environment.
All employees are responsible for informing the employer if there are signs that bullying or harassment may occur or have occurred. For us, it is of utmost importance that we have safe workplaces. If you have any questions about this, do not hesitate to contact your immediate manager. It is also important that you report to your manager or the HR department if you feel that you have been bullied or harassed.
We strive to maintain an open business climate and high business ethics. All employees play an important role in our success. Our whistleblower service is an anonymous channel for reporting irregularities that affect people, our organization, society, or the environment.
Collective Agreements and Trade Unions
Collective agreements exist for employees at Menhammar Stuteri through the Food Workers’ Union (Livs) for workers and through Unionen for salaried employees. Unionen has a local club for Soya Group employees.
Salary Setting & Salary Revision
The central collective agreements form one of the bases for Menhammar Stuteri’s salary setting. The salary setting follows the collective agreement and its salary agreement, which consists of a tariff wage system. The tariff wage system is a system where wage levels are negotiated centrally between the parties, and in the current collective agreement, there are then fixed amount increases that are annually distributed in connection with the salary revision. Tariff wages only exist within the workers’ agreement.
Differences in salary or employment conditions due to discriminatory or other unjustified reasons must not occur.
Development and Opportunities
Following a horse from insemination to the competition track is a long and engaging process. Each step offers unique development opportunities and challenges that contribute to the stud farm’s success and the horses’ well-being. As an employee, you will receive relevant training to achieve this together with your colleagues.
At Menhammar Gård, we work purposefully with sustainable development of forests and land, aiming for fossil-free agriculture, a challenging but rewarding task. As an employee, you will receive relevant training for this purpose as we use digital services to optimize the work to a large extent.
With us, you also have the opportunity to take part in Soya Academy, our joint digital learning platform aimed at attracting, developing, and retaining our employees, in other words, being a learning organization.
Our Offer – Menhammar
Activity Club
We enjoy meeting and having fun together, and it’s always nice to get to know new people. Our joint Activity Club organizes several leisure activities that are open to all employees.
Art Association
Members of the art association pay 100 SEK per month via the salary and participate in the annual lottery of art purchased by the Art Association.
Benefit Bicycle
You have the opportunity to sign up for a benefit bicycle, which means that with the help of a salary deduction, you can rent a quality bicycle, which over time costs you less than if you buy it – regardless of whether you choose to return it after three years or buy it out.
Company Housing
Company housing is offered (subject to availability) in accordance with the Tax Agency’s regulations at a favorable rent.
Computer Glasses
For those who work at a screen and need computer glasses, the cost of an optician visit and glasses is covered by the company. The company has agreements with Synsam and Benckert Optik regarding the examination of employees at the office who work with screens and may need computer glasses.
Dental Care
Costs for dentists and dental hygienists according to the dental insurance standards are reimbursed up to a maximum of 4,200 SEK per year.
Edenred Lunch Benefit
Soya Group offers its employees the Edenred Lunch Benefit for 11 months per year. Edenred can be used at most restaurants in Sweden that accept MasterCard as a payment method, which corresponds to about 27,000 restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores in Sweden. The payroll office registers you for the Edenred Ticket. For the current month’s load, see the employee handbook.
Environmental Car
One of the most pronounced and fundamental values within Soya Group is our thoughtful and active environmental work. The responsibility we feel in environmental matters means a sincere and constant effort to minimize the risks of negative environmental impacts in all contexts. Our commitment is great and also includes the choices we as employees can make outside our daily work. Therefore, for several years, there has been the opportunity to lease an environmental car. The purpose is to provide the opportunity for those who are about to buy a car to make an environmentally wise choice without their own down payment.
Health Check and Medical Care
All employees at the Stockholm offices are offered a health check at the Health Center at Sophiahemmet. If you are under 40 years old, you are called every three years. Between 40 and 50, you are called every other year. Those who are 51 and older are called every year. You are taxed for this examination. For non-work-related medical care, the employee pays for the doctor’s visit themselves and is then reimbursed up to the current high-cost protection per calendar year via the salary (applies to permanent employees). The reimbursement is a taxable benefit.
Insurance Protection
In addition to the general social insurance and the contractual insurance protection, the group has an agreement with Länsförsäkringar for voluntary group life and group accident insurance for all employees.
Leave of Absence
Leave of absence is normally granted for studies, parental leave, and military service. If you want to take a leave of absence, you should first apply to your immediate supervisor. Apply as early as possible.
Leisure Accommodation
All permanent employees in Soya Group have the opportunity to rent one of the group’s leisure accommodations in: Järvsö, Hälsingland; Marbella, Spain; Juan les Pins, France; Florida, USA; or London, England.
Massage
As an employee, you are offered free massage according to the booking schedule and availability.
Parental Salary
As an employee for at least one year with us, you are entitled to parental salary according to the collective agreement.
Pension
According to the collective agreement, you are entitled to an occupational pension ITP1 or ITP2 depending on the year you were born.
Safety Representative
To find out who the safety representative is, you are welcome to contact the HR department or read more about our various safety committees in our employee handbook on the Intranet.
Salary
Salary payment is made on the 26th of each month, or the nearest weekday before, if the 26th falls on a weekend/holiday. Deductions for, for example, illness, vacation, and leave of absence are made the month after the absence occurred.
Sick Leave Notification
Contact your immediate supervisor on the first regular working day you are sick. From the 8th sick day, a medical certificate is required, which you send to the HR department.
Staff Stable
Staff stable is offered at an attractive rent, subject to availability, at the adjacent stable at Rastaborg.
Suggestion Scheme Wallidé
Your ideas for improvements and rationalizations in the group’s various operations are important. Everyone in Soya Group can contribute to the Suggestion Scheme – just remember that your suggestions must be outside your regular work tasks. It can be about environmental issues, safety and welfare issues, comfort, material savings, or quality improvements. The suggestions are assessed by a committee, and all ideas that can be implemented are rewarded according to the Suggestion Scheme’s rules.
Tax
To ensure your tax deduction is calculated correctly, the Payroll Department retrieves current information via the Tax Agency.
Time Reporting
All employees fill in a monthly attendance report and submit it to their immediate supervisor no later than the first working day of the following month. The same applies to expenses/travel expenses reported via the Agda Expense app.
Vacation
New employees in the group who start their employment before September 1 are entitled to 25/30 days of basic vacation. This first vacation is paid for as many days as the employee earns during the same year. The vacation year runs from April 1 to March 31. Vacation entitlement is earned during the twelve-month period preceding the twelve-month period during which vacation is taken.
Volunteer Work
All permanent employees have the opportunity to volunteer during working hours for up to two days per year. The focus of the volunteer work is on helping people in vulnerable situations, especially children and young people, and in disaster situations. Volunteer work can be carried out through your own contacts to make humanitarian efforts, preferably through the Red Cross, Save the Children, the City Mission, or Doctors Without Borders. We have long cooperated with these organizations. Volunteer work during working hours for another organization should be discussed with your immediate supervisor.
Wellness
At Soya Group, we have access to our own wellness consultant who works with preventive wellness activities. In addition to the opportunity to participate in group training sessions in the gym at Menhammar during lunch or after work, there is also a nice outdoor gym to use. In the gym, you have the opportunity to train alone or with others.
Working Hours
Regular working hours are 40 hours per week according to the schedule set by each supervisor. We have a one-hour lunch break.