Jonas Goro Gadelius

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Jonas Goro Gadelius
Born(1926-11-25)November 25, 1926
DiedJuly 31, 2003(2003-07-31) (aged 77)
NationalitySwedish
Education Lundsbergs boarding school
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1950–1995
EmployerGadelius K.K.
Known forChairman of Gadelius K.K.
Advocacy of Swedish–Japanese business relations
Notable workCollector of netsuke, donated to the World Museum, Liverpool
SpouseGabita Gadelius
Children1 (Lorena)
Parent(s)Knut and Gabriella Gadelius

Jonas Goro Gadelius [1] (25 November 1926-31 July 2003) was a Swedish businessman who served as chairman of Gadelius K.K., a trading and engineering company based in Japan. He promoted business and industrial relations between Sweden and Japan.

Contents

Early life and education

The youngest of the seven children, Gadelius was born in 1926 to Knut and Gabriella Gadelius. [2] [3] His father founded of Gadelius AB in Gothenburg in 1890 and Gadelius K.K. in Tokyo in 1907. [4] [5] Gadelius spent his early years in Tokyo before the family moved back to Sweden in 1932. [3]

He completed his secondary education at Lundsbergs boarding school in Sweden. He joined and served in the artillery before joining the family business. [3] [2] [6]

Career

In 1950, Gadelius moved to Japan to work for Gadelius K.K., maintaining the family's involvement in industrial cooperation with Japan. [3] [2] By the mid-1960s, he became President of Gadelius K.K. and played a role in leading the company during a period of rapid industrial growth in Japan. [3] [2] Under his leadership, Gadelius K.K. transitioned from general importing to a focus on specialized distribution and local manufacturing. The company began licensing advanced Swedish and Western technologies for the Japanese market in sectors such as energy, pollution control, marine engines, steel, pulp, and paper industries. [5] [6]

In 1977, Gadelius became Chairman of the Board of Gadelius K.K. [3] He later stepped down during the structural changes in the Japanese market between 1992 and 1995. [3] [2] [6]

Gadelius stated that "It takes tenacity and patience to break into the Japanese market". [5] He believed Gadelius K.K. could compete with Japanese companies like Kawasaki, Fujitsu and Hitachi in the manufacturing of multi-purpose robots. [5]

Personal life and legacy

Gadelius married Gabita Gadelius. They had one daughter, Lorena. [3]

Jonas collected Japanese art, including a significant collection of netsuke, which are small sculptures traditionally carved from ivory or wood. His collection, featuring works from renowned carvers such as Kagetoshi, Tomotada, Morita Soko, and Masatoshi, was donated to the World Museum in Liverpool, where it remains on display. [7]

Jonas Goro Gadelius died in London on 31 July 2003 at the age of 76. [3] [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Mr Jonas Goro Gadelius in the England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2024 - The Wikipedia Library". wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Ross, William, ed. (2011). Gadelius : the DNA of a successful company : a Swedish-based company; over 100 years in Japan.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Jonas Gadelius: Direktör med rättskänsla", Dagens Nyheter, 18 August 2003.
  4. ↑ Ltd, Gadelius Holding. "History | GADELIUS". www.gadelius.comcompany. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Peter McGill, "From Rickshaws to Robots", Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry, No. 1, 1984, Japan Economic Foundation. PDF
  6. 1 2 3 Bass, Britt (1990). Gadelius 1890-1990: en familj och ett företag. Stockholm: Gadelius. ISBN   978-91-7970-871-9.
  7. ↑ "Japan collection". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
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