Gnosjöandan - the Gnosjö Spirit

For over a hundred years, the area around Anderstorp and the neighboring town of Gnosjö (population >6,000) has been distinguished by a high density of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies 

• 

  Gnosjö Grand Central Station. Gnosjö near Jönköping in the Småland province.

• Some of you were curious whether the Småland spirit is synonymous with the so called “Gnosjöandan.” Coined by Harry Sjöman, editor-in-chief of the Värnamo newspaper, in the 1920s, the term Gnosjöandan was intended to summarize the drive, diligence and forward-thinking spirit that prevailed among the region's entrepreneurs.
  For over a hundred years, the area around Anderstorp and the neighboring town of Gnosjö (population >5,000) has been distinguished by a high density of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. Few people with even the slightest interest in Swedish business seem to have missed that this part of Småland has been a success story that has also resonated internationally.
  High growth and low unemployment have continuously impressed observers. Especially since the successes have come against all odds as the region lacks several of the factors that are normally fertile ground for regional growth, such as: a highly educated workforce, a rich economic background or proximity to a large city. The reason for the successes has been debated in countless books, all of which end up in the special Gnosjö spirit that characterizes the region and which is synonymous with drive, action, forward thinking and helpfulness.
  Bad luck has struck the region on several occasions, for example in the 1970s when the trend toward large-scale production was strong and was predicted to drive out smaller companies. But the companies in the area have adapted and survived, just as they have weathered countless recessions.
  “Gnosjöandan" has become an overarching term to describe a good business climate with hard working people and a region where companies are happy to help each other. In 1997, Gnosjö Municipality registered Gnosjöandan as a trademark.