Crisis in the cotton industry
In the 1860s, the biggest crisis to date occurred in the cotton industry. When Johan Theodor died in 1895, at the age of 87, his son Volrath Berg was appointed CEO. The new CEO immediately pushed through major changes to meet the crisis – the factory was modernized, older machines were replaced and extensive work was carried out to build a power station that supplied Nääs’ factories with electricity. Volrath was very popular with the workers. On the weekends, he used to walk around the community and step into the cabins (without knocking …) to visit his employees.
One of Volrath Berg’s big decisions was to build a new spinning mill. Mellersta Fabriken was completed in February 1898, but could not be fully utilized, due to the limited supply of hydropower. At the same time, the Old Lower Factory was also renovated. The spinning machines were removed and a dying works was set up. The demand for dyed yarn increased all the time.
To have control over the entire production process, Alingsås Bomullsväveri was bought in 1912 and the group was further expanded in 1927 through the purchase of Aktiebolaget Nordens Väveri in Borås. Finally, Nääs Fabriker could weave, bleach, print and refine textiles.
In 1933, the 100th anniversary is celebrated. World War I was over and optimism sprouted. The business and factories are growing, and new machines were purchased.