Thule was founded by the Thulin family back in 1942. It is one of the typical Swedish entrepreneurial companies that have developed profitably year after year.
The turning point for Thule came in the 1960s when the family decided to concentrate its business on car-related products, and the first roof rack was developed. In 1979 the company was sold to the public listed company Eldon and it continued to grow both organically and through acquisitions (trailers and rooftop box manufacturing). In 1999 the private equity firm EQT acquired the company and developed it further with increased focus on growth and profitability until 2004, when the UK-based private equity firm Candover took over together with 60 management representatives. In July 2007 Thule was qcquired by Nordic Captial, www.nordiccapital.com
The word Sweden is still an important component in the company logo. Once it was a symbol for the origin of the company, while today it stands for the inherent values of a Scandinavian-based company, namely solid quality, timeless design, continuous innovation, and respect for nature and all co-workers.