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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.
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
A safe and secure workplace
At Soya Group, we want you to have a stimulating, safe and pleasant period of employment with us. To make this possible, we believe that good co-operation is key.
Soya Group has developed a number of Group-wide policies that apply to all co-workers in the Group’s companies and business areas. A Group policy is a clear statement of intent in a specific area and the framework we have to relate to in order to create a good and safe working environment.
The Group Security department, together with the Group Human Resources department, works actively with managers and co-workers to promote the right of all co-workers to a safe and secure working environment.
All co-workers are responsible for notifying their employer if there are indications that victimisation or harassment may occur or has occurred. For us, it is of the 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 offended or harassed.
We endeavour to maintain an open business climate and high business ethics. All co-workers have an important role to play in our success.
Our Whistleblowing Service is an anonymous channel to raise the alarm about irregularities affecting people, our organisation, society or the environment.
Collective agreements and trade union organisations
Collective agreements exist for all land-based co-workers within Soya Group between the Swedish Maritime Employers’ Association and Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer. Unionen has a local club for Soya Group employees. We also cooperate with the trade union organisations for employees at sea; Sjöbefälsförbundet and SEKO Sjöfolk.
Co-worker dialogue
At Soya Group, we have annual co-worker dialogues, which are recurring conversations between co-workers and managers. At these dialogues you are given an opportunity to look back on the past year together with your manager and at the same time set new goals and create a personal development and action plan for the future. You will have the opportunity to discuss your skills and experience and to emphasise what you want your development to look like.
Salary setting & Salary review
The central collective agreements are one of the starting points for Soya Group’s salary setting. Salaries are set individually based on each co-worker’s knowledge and experience. We conduct annual salary reviews where salaries are adjusted based on individual performance, changes in duties, responsibilities and market trends. Salary discussions are held annually between the salary-setting manager and the co-worker. The salary discussion with the immediate manager is an opportunity to express views on one’s salary development, as well as an opportunity to influence one’s salary going forward. Differences in pay or terms of employment based on discriminatory or other inappropriate reasons must not occur.
Development and opportunities
We are a flexible and exciting workplace with good opportunities to grow and develop through training and coaching. By working within Soya Group, you contribute to a more prosperous and sustainable world. We work in several business areas with research and development and want to constantly improve and achieve new innovations. With us, you will also have the opportunity to take part in Soya Academy, our common digital learning platform that aims to help attract, develop and retain our co-workers, in other words, to be a learning organisation.
Our offer
Working hours
Regular working hours are Monday-Thursday 08:30-17:00 and Friday 08:30-15:30.
We have flexitime, which means that work can start Monday-Friday between 07:00-09:00 and end Monday-Thursday between 15:30-18:00 and Friday between 14:30-17:00. On the day before a public holiday and the day before Christmas Eve, we always work 4.5 hours without a lunch break.
The Activity Club
We like to meet and have fun together and it is always nice to get to know new people. Our joint Activity Club organises several leisure activities that are open to all co-workers.
Bicycle room
In the garage at Swedenborgsgatan 19, we have a bike room with space for 81 bikes. Floor bike racks, a service station with tools, and space to charge the bike batteries are available in the modern and secure bike room.
Distance working
We mainly offer distance work two days per week. The manager and co-worker agree on how it will work in practice.
Edenred lunch benefit
Soya Group offers its co-workers the Edenred Lunch Benefit for 11 months per year. Edenred can be used at most restaurants in Sweden that accept Master Card as a payment method, which corresponds to about 27,000 restaurants, cafés and grocery stores in Sweden.
The payroll office will enrol you in Edenred Ticket.
Health and well-being
At Soya Group, we have access to a wellness consultant who works on preventive wellness activities. In addition to the opportunity to participate in group training sessions in the office gym during lunchtime, we regularly receive tips on diet and exercise. The gym at the headquarters is available for Group co-workers to exercise on their own.
For co-workers who do not work at the head office, a fitness allowance is offered.
Holiday accommodation
All permanent employees of Soya Group have the opportunity to rent one of the Group’s holiday homes in: Järvsö, Hälsingland; Marbella, Spain; Juan les Pins, France; Florida, USA or London, England.
Benefit bicycle
You have the option of taking out a benefit bicycle, which means that you can use payroll deductions to rent a quality bike, which over time costs you less than if you buy it – whether you choose to return it after three years or buy it out.
Wallidé proposal committee
Your ideas on how to improve and rationalise the Group’s various activities are important. Everyone in Soya Group can contribute to the Proposal committee – just remember that your suggestions must be outside your regular work duties. It can be about environmental issues, safety and welfare issues, well-being, material savings or quality improvements. Proposals are assessed by a committee and all feasible ideas are rewarded according to the rules of the Proposal committee.
Insurance cover
In addition to the general social security and contractual insurance cover, the Group has an agreement with Länsförsäkringar for a voluntary group life and group accident insurance for all co-workers.
Parental pay
If you have been employed for at least one year, you are entitled to parental pay under the collective agreement.
Health checks and medical care
All co-workers at the Stockholm offices are offered health checks at the Health Centre at Sophiahemmet. If you are under 40, you are called once every three years. If you are between 40 and 50, you are called every two years. Those who have turned 51 are called every year. You are taxed on the benefits of this examination. For non-work-related medical care, the co-worker pays for the doctor’s visit themselves, and then receives reimbursement up to the current high-cost cover per calendar year, via their salary (for permanent employed co-workers). The reimbursement is a taxable benefit.
Art Club
Members of the Art Club pay SEK 100 per month through their salary and participate in the annual raffle of art purchased by the Art Club.
Salary
Salaries are paid on the 26th of each month, or the previous working day before if the 26th falls on a weekend/public holiday. Deductions for e.g. sickness, holidays and leave are made the month after the absence occurred. All payslips can be found in Agda Entré.
Magneten
The natural meeting place of our office is the shared lounge Magneten, which you will find just behind our reception area. Here are great opportunities for socialising and perhaps having lunch or coffee with a colleague from another of our companies or department.
Environmental-friendly vehicle
One of the most pronounced and fundamental values within Soya Group is our well thought-out and active environmental work. The responsibility we feel for environmental issues means a sincere and constant effort to minimise the risks of negative environmental factors in all contexts. For some years now, it has been possible to lease an environmental-friendly vehicle. The aim is to give those who are in the process of buying a car the opportunity to make an environmentally sound choice without having to make a down payment.
Pension scheme
Under the collective agreement, you are entitled to an occupational pension via Alecta, ITP1 or ITP2 depending on the year you were born.
Holiday entitlement
New co-workers within the Group who start their employment before 1 September are entitled to 25/30 days’ basic holiday. This first holiday will be paid for as many days as they earn in the same year. The holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Holiday entitlement is earned during the 12-month period preceding the 12-month period in which the holiday is taken.
Tax deductions
To calculate your tax deduction correctly, the Payroll Department obtains up-to-date information from the Swedish Tax Agency.
Safety representative
To find out who is the safety representative and contact person for Unionen, please contact the HR department or read more about our various safety committees in our personnel handbook (Swedish only) on the Intranet.
Dental care
Costs for dentists and dental hygienists according to the standards of dental insurance are reimbursed up to a maximum of SEK 4,200 per year.
Terminal glasses
For those who work at a computer screen and need terminal glasses, the cost of optician visits and terminal glasses is reimbursed by the company. The company has an agreement with Synsam, as well as with Benckert Optik, regarding the examination of employees in the office who work with monitors and possibly need terminal glasses.
Time reporting
All co-workers submit a monthly attendance report in Agda Entré, which is available on our intranet. Time reporting in Agda must be completed by the first working day of the following month. The same applies to expenses/travel expenses in Agda Expense.
Leave of absence
Leave is normally granted for studies, parental leave and military service. If you wish to take a leave of absence, you should apply in the first instance to your immediate manager. Apply as early as possible.
Voluntary work
We offer all permanently employed co-workers the opportunity to volunteer during working hours for up to two days per year. Volunteering focuses on helping people in vulnerable situations, especially children and young people and in disaster situations. Volunteering can be done through your own contacts to do humanitarian work, preferably through the Red Cross, Save the Children, Stockholm City Mission or Médecins Sans Frontières. We have a long history of cooperation with these organisations. Volunteering during working hours for another organisation should be discussed with your line manager.