This month, Swedish bed and furniture manufacturer DUX celebrates an historic company milestone that all started on a cold night in Chicago.
Rolling back the years, 1926 was a pivotal time in history that saw the birth of many modern icons, groundbreaking scientific leaps, political unrest and one decision to swap chocolate making to beds. Several moments spring to mind including the first liquid fuelled rocket launch by Robert H. Goddard, A.A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ being first published and the UK General Strike that saw millions of workers down tools for nine days.
Then there’s the feat of 19-year-old American Gertrude Ederle who became the first woman to swim the English Channel, breaking the men’s world record by over two hours with a time of 14 hours and 31 minutes, as well as the establishment of the US Highway System – including the creation of the iconic Route 66. And it’s in the US we stay where another moment in history was about to be created – although the initial idea was first conceived a few years earlier.
In 1924, Swedish chocolate maker Efraim Ljung checked into a small hotel in Chicago and was fascinated by how comfortable the bed was. Using a small pocketknife, he carefully cut open the mattress to discover flexible springs inside, then repaired the mattress to its original form.
Back home in Sweden, Efraim shifted his focus from his confectionary business and began devoting all his time to experimenting with flexible steel springs of varying strengths and elasticity. He formed DUX and began manufacturing mattresses in Malmö in 1926.
A century later, DUX has grown into a worldwide producer of luxury beds, mattresses and furniture, with the company, which sells its products globally and primarily through its retail stores DUXIANA, still owned by the Ljung family – a business now in its fourth generation. Efraim Ljung’s legacy lives on through his three great-grandchildren – Henrik, Anders, and Oscar – who continue to expertly guide the company, staying true to the vision and values established by their forebears.
Another key member of the DUX team is Kevin Slade, Executive Vice President of the DUX Group, who reflects on its 100-year history with immense pride. “There are so many milestone moments in our history, but I’ve shared a few that have been fundamental in DUX’s growth. Starting with the founding of the company, which includes the development of the spring system, and then the creation of the of frames bed (a mattress that has an internal wooden frame – which is common place now across the Nordic market particularly).
“Then we have the creation of the top pad, which again is something that almost every company within our sector offers these days, but few realise it was DUX that created it! The launch of furniture in the 1950’s, which saw us to go on to working with Bruno Mathsson who approached us for help in the early 1960’s because he couldn’t find anyone who could produce his design, but we did!
“The creation of Pascal was an evolutionary game-changer, while the creation of the mono brand retail concept called DUXIANA paved the way again for many other brands to follow. We know we have been pioneers in our field and we’re proud to set the standard and keep innovating.”
On that note, and fast forward to 2026, Kevin revealed special plans to mark the milestone year that includes the launch of a brand-new vertical of product offering. However, remaining tight-lipped for now, he said “it’s too early to share just yet”, but it will once again “shake the industry and show that we at DUX are always at the forefront of innovation and craftmanship”.
“2026 represents 100 years of craftsmanship, innovation and design for the DUX and DUXIANA brands. To mark this momentous year, we will celebrate our heritage, demonstrate today’s latest developments and unveil what’s coming tomorrow.
“As a tribute to the four generations that have guided the first century of DUX, we are releasing four special edition products. This centenary collection draws on our iconic design history, while also making full use of the latest in ergonomic comfort technology. Each product will be limited to 100, individually numbered pieces.”
The year ahead looks to be another of significance for the business, with the last 12-months delivering continued growth. “Business has continued to see amazing growth across all markets and has continued to build in the emerging markets such as Italy, France and Spain,” Kevin added. “The UK business has grown significantly with the addition of the Stamford store and we are excited to be opening a brand-new flagship DUXIANA showroom in Dublin early this year.
“We also have a number of further product launches planned for during the year too. In addition to this, we will be holding a number of key events during the year to further celebrate this amazing milestone.”
As DUX and DUXIANA enters its next phase of growth, Kevin said that “innovation, craftmanship and determination” best underpin how the company has evolved throughout the century. More is to come too as Kevin highlighted above, but before the hard work of the next 100-years begins, Kevin took just a moment to admire what the DUX brand has achieved to date.
“It really is an unreal feeling to be celebrating 100 years. On a personal level, it’s a real honour to work in, and represent, a company with such a great history, such solid values, amazing products and a world class team. We’re excited for the future.”
