The family business started back in 1948
It has been more than 70 years since Else Widerøe founded the company Contact Service, from which the companies in Spabogruppen originate. Contact Service initially arranged secretary jobs for women in need of work post-World War II. This operation later evolved into a professional player in the temporary staffing industry. Else's son, Thor Spandow, took over the business in 1980. Under Thor's leadership, the company developed into Norsk Personal Gruppen, along with partner Lars B. Gjerde, which later became Olsten Personal Norden. This company was sold to Adecco in 2001.
At the time of the sale, the company was the second largest recruitment agency in the Nordic region, with an annual turnover of 2.1 billion NOK. After the sale to Adecco, Thor chose to reinvest parts of the profits into the family's real estate company, Spabo AS, which today consists of Spabo Eiendom AS and Spabo Næring AS, and a small accounting firm, which evolved into today's Amesto Group.
A few years ago, Spabogruppen underwent a generational shift, transitioning the business to the third generation: Arild, Jan, and Ariane Spandow.
«You never really own a family business. You merely look after it for the next generation»
THE MIDDLE-BORN JOINED FIRST...
FOLLOWED BY THE ELDEST...
AND FINALLY, THE YOUNGEST...
Triple bottom line
Spabogruppen is committed to sustainability and corporate social value. We incorporate the triple bottom line into our business strategy and assessing performance across People, Planet and Profit. We strive to achieve results in all three areas to tackle significant societal challenges.
Our focus on social responsibility is longstanding; we have been working with Creating social value for over a decade. Creating Shared Value.
Spabogruppen is committed to this concept through a set of guidelines for corporate social values, in key areas such as human rights, health, safety, and the environment, as well as anti-corruption. These guidelines are anchored in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO core conventions, and the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises.
Additionally, Spabogruppen is committed to the UN Global Compact, which emphasizes the protection of human rights, labor rights, environmental sustainability, and anti-corruption measures. By integrating these principles into its business strategy, Spabogruppen aims to identify and address societal challenges, thereby gaining a competitive advantage and contributing to sustainable communities.
Here are some examples of Amesto initiatives:
Amesto Aces: What do you do when there is a screaming shortage of IT professionals, while Norway is full of young, smart adults who can't find jobs? You think differently and start Amesto Aces.
Providing IT talents with jobs is good business, not charity. At Amesto Aces, young adults receive 16 week of training to earn Microsoft and Salesforce certification, and ultimately a career in IT with one of our clients. We believe it's all about seeing past labels and backgrounds, and choosing abilities instead. e empower young individuals who have fallen out of the workforce by offering a 16-week training program for certification as Salesforce and Microsoft resources, with real work experience.
Amesto Footprint: We believe that there is a genuine will to implement more sustainable business models. We just need to help simplify the path to get there. Amesto Footprint offers a new digital solution that makes it easy for businesses to get started with their sustainability work. Our digital solution helps you understand which laws and regulations apply to your company. We use measurement, reporting, and advisory services to help you understand how to translate sustainability data into improved performance. In addition, we have a team of sustainability experts ready to advise and ensure quality throughout the process.
Sustainability Report
The objective of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) is to specify the information that a business should disclose about its significant impact risks and opportunities related to environmental, social, and governance aspects. ESRS does not require you to disclose information on environmental, social, and governance themes the entity has assessed as immaterial.
The information presented in accordance with ESRS, enables users of sustainability reports to understand the significant impact a business has on people and the environment, as well as the performance and position of a company.
The report for Spabogruppen AS covers the financial year 2023 and it is prepared with the same level of consolidation as the financial annual report. This report is the first ESRS report for Spabogruppen, even though the group will not be be formally obligated to publish an ESRS report until the financial year 2025. We have volunteered to prepare this report to become familiar with the ESRS standards, processes, and associated reporting requirements. Furthermore, to understand what is expected from our business, identify areas of particular relevance to us, and the relevant data points to report.
We have chosen a pragmatic approach, as it is voluntary reporting, so this year's report will serve as a baseline or foundation for further development. It means that we have learned a lot about areas we need to improve next year. This year's reporting process has truly helped us further develop our sustainability strategy, initiatives, and action plan. For this year's process, we conducted a stakeholder mapping and a double materiality assessment for Spabogruppen collectively.
Entrepreneurship is in our DNA
Thor has a strong passion for people, art, music, and building lasting values. Throughout his career, he has created numerous businesses and job opportunities both domestically and internationally. Thor has built his life's work on the motto: "The balance of the mind and heart gives life the best chance."
Thor has had a successful career, with leadership roles in several major companies, including IBM and Varta. In 1980, he took over the company Contact Service from his mother and grew the company into one of the largest staffing agencies in the Nordic region. When the company was sold, he invested the proceeds in the family's real estate company, laying the foundation for the current Spabogruppen.
"Each company, and each property, is a new entrepreneurial project. We are not speculators; we are developers and administrators". Thor still calls himself an entrepreneur. It's in his DNA.
Watch the movie about Thor.
Ethical Guidelines
Spabogruppen will not engage in companies, organizations, or individuals that:
- Are on the EU sanctions list.
- Are involved in serious human rights violations.
- Are involved in serious violations of international laws.
- Are involved in gross corruption.
- Contribute to serious environmental crimes.