Our history
Our history is characterized by technological breakthroughs, long-term development, and a production base that remains firmly rooted in Sösdala, Sweden.
Key milestones
Backer througout the years
Patent registration
Christian Backer registered the first patent with the aim of using this new process to develop a product suitable for use as a heating element in the manufacture of electric hotplates, as an alternative to gas stoves.
Backer Elektro-Värme AB is founded
Backer Elektro-Värme AB is founded in Sösdala after local entrepreneurs and the Backer family join forces. Production is established, and Sösdala becomes the company’s home.
Christian Backer passes away
His technical legacy continues to shape the company’s development.
Backer Elektro-Värme AB and NIBE-Verken AB merge.
NIBE Industrier AB is established. Backer becomes one of the leading brands within the new business area, NIBE Element.
Global expansion
Global expansion through acquisitions and new subsidiaries establishes Backer as a world-leading provider of heating and resistor solutions.
Backer today
Sösdala remains one of Backer’s largest production sites and the headquarters of NIBE Element. During the year, 1,215,000 meters of tubing are manufactured at the facility - a testament to capacity, expertise, and strong local roots.
Patent registration
Christian Backer registered the first patent with the aim of using this new process to develop a product suitable for use as a heating element in the manufacture of electric hotplates, as an alternative to gas stoves.
Backer Elektro-Värme AB is founded
Backer Elektro-Värme AB is founded in Sösdala after local entrepreneurs and the Backer family join forces. Production is established, and Sösdala becomes the company’s home.
Christian Backer passes away
His technical legacy continues to shape the company’s development.
Backer Elektro-Värme AB and NIBE-Verken AB merge.
NIBE Industrier AB is established. Backer becomes one of the leading brands within the new business area, NIBE Element.
Global expansion
Global expansion through acquisitions and new subsidiaries establishes Backer as a world-leading provider of heating and resistor solutions.
Backer today
Sösdala remains one of Backer’s largest production sites and the headquarters of NIBE Element. During the year, 1,215,000 meters of tubing are manufactured at the facility - a testament to capacity, expertise, and strong local roots.
Christian Backer
Christian Backer was born in 1885 in the small village of Flisa, north of Kongsvinger in Norway. He was the youngest of eight children, most of whom emigrated to the United States and Canada at a young age. Christian early on showed a strong aptitude and talent for research, and after graduating in Kongsvinger, he became an assistant to a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim during his studies. The professor Christian assisted worked on various projects, including the extraction of pure magnesium from saltwater. It was during this project that Christian Backer identified magnesium’s thermal properties and also developed a method to transform electrically conductive magnesium into an insulating material.
The foundation of modern heating technology
Christian Backer’s fundamental concept and method were named the “Backer process,” providing the world with a new heating component that could easily be adapted for both household and industrial use. Compared with previously available innovations, Backer’s method was revolutionary. The first patent was registered in 1921, followed by several additional patents during the 1920s and 1930s. Christian Backer’s goal was to use this new process to develop a product of sufficient quality to serve as a heating element in the manufacture of electric hotplates, as an alternative to gas stoves. After the Second World War, Christian Backer established a company in Sweden, primarily because his wife, Elsa, had Swedish roots. Elsa was a cousin of the estate owner Nils Bernerup. In 1948, Christian Backer visited a number of leading Swedish manufacturers of electrothermal equipment to generate interest in his product. He stipulated that any factory granted a license would have to include the name Backer in its company name, but neither Kockums, Electrolux, nor Elektro Helios were willing to change their names. At the end of this journey, he visited Nils Bernerup at Stora Bernstorp. This led to Nils Bernerup and a group of local businessmen - including Member of Parliament Erik Nilsson of Svalöv—becoming involved in the venture. Backer Elektro Värme AB was founded in 1949 in Sösdala and was jointly owned by the Backer family and the Swedish group. Christian Backer passed away on August 30, 1952, while visiting Vedaverken in Södertälje on behalf of Backer. Vedaverken supplied magnesium tubes to Backer and had encountered problems. When Christian Backer confirmed that his drawings and instructions had not been followed, he became so distressed that he suffered a heart attack. Christian Backer is buried in his home village of Flisa in Norway.