Darko Pervan - Founder of the Year Honorary Award 2021

Darko Pervan, the founder of Välinge, was awarded Founder of the Year Honorary Award 2021 at the Founders Awards Gala, Stockholm City Hall for his lifelong contribution to sustainable and long-term company building.

- Over the years, I’ve received many awards, but this one is different. This award was given to me by my peers — other founders and entrepreneurs — and that makes it extra special, says Darko Pervan.

Darko Pervan - Välinge

Darko Pervan had already worked some years at Tändsticksbolaget and then at Perstorps laminat, where he came up with the idea for the world's first laminate floor, before he founded Välinge in 1993.

The company started the development of the world’s first mechanical locking system that enables installation of wood and laminate flooring by combining angling and snapping. The principles for locking floorboards mechanically gradually developed to a world standard and thus eliminating the use of 100 million bottles of glue. 

In 2007 a new paper-free Wood Fibre Floor technology was born. A thin wood veneer is combined with wood powder and bonded to a board using high heat and pressure. This creates a surface three times harder than traditional flooring, and ten times more flooring can be produced from the same amount of lumber.

Välinge's mission is to change how flooring, furniture and wall panels are produced and used, by introducing new technologies that provide better, more cost effective and more environmentally friendly solutions. All new technologies are protected by 3,400 patents.

www.valinge.se