Torudd

"”Vi måste försöka komma ifrån det traditionella sättet att konstruera en förpackning. Jag tror att framtidens förpackningskonstruktion kommer att utgå ifrån hur man bygger öppningen, inte som det är nu, tvärtom”, sade Torudd och började förklara sina tankegångar. Torudd menade att företaget skulle satsa på en fyrkantig förpackning utan kontinuerlig fyllning. Istället för att lägga all vikt vid den kontinuerliga fyllningen skulle man bygga en förpackning med konsumentvänlig hällanordning. Det var hans bestämda uppfattning att tiden var mogen för det. Ruben blev entusiastisk och ville omedelbart kalla in [Harry Järund](private://read/01jgv3rewabvpzfbhb06r0km4d/#indx-215x) och patentingenjören [Tage Norberg](private://read/01jgv3rewabvpzfbhb06r0km4d/#indx-271x). Harry Järund spelade golf, men Norberg kom. Tillsammans funderade de vidare. De kom till sist fram till att man skulle ha en lös plastpåse som klistrades fast i toppen på kartongen. Där skulle man också ha ett utstansat hål där en plastpip som fungerade som hällanordning skulle stickas in. Rubens entusiasm ökade än mer och han ville att patent skulle sökas fortast möjligt. När Harry Järund kom tillbaka från golfen fick han besked om att han skulle försöka konstruera förpackningen efter anvisningarna."

"Ruben was relieved when he left the Grand. He had gotten Torudd to promise support for Hans. Perhaps it meant that Hans was saved. Inside, he was sure that Hans was the right person as CEO. Only if he matured before Holger decided to definitively remove him. It was crucial that he got a chance to show his qualities."

"Yet, the positives outweighed the negatives: they finally found out that it would probably be possible to package sterile milk in tetra packs. But more problems remained. It is not only air that is an important enemy of milk, but also light. If milk is exposed to light for an extended period, it acquires a harmless, but unpleasant off-flavor known as sunlight flavor. Aseptic milk, as Tetra Pak chose to call the new sterile product, which lasted between three and six months without refrigeration, would inevitably be exposed to light. And the tetrahedron in plastic-coated paper could not resist the light. Even if they managed to sterilize the paper, the light would make the milk virtually undrinkable. Compared to sterilization, however, light was a manageable problem. By using a technology developed within Åkerlund & Rausing, they could overcome these difficulties. The method, primarily developed for chocolate bar wrappers, involved attaching aluminum foil to the inside of the paper. This effectively blocked out the light. Now there were both sterilization and paper, but no complete system existed. It was not so simple that the usual tetrahedron machines could be used. To maintain the sterility of the milk, it was required to have a completely closed sterile system. And the paper had to be sterilized inside the filling machine itself. If it were sterilized before being introduced, there was always the risk that it could become bacterially infected along the way. Then the milk would be ruined within just a week. While the company tried to develop the right machine, Torudd worked hard to get someone to rent the first untested machines – machines that did not yet exist in reality. Everyone was indeed very interested in a cheap disposable packaging for aseptic milk, but they first wanted to see a finished machine before they committed to anything."

"Although Ruben Rausing liked it when employees dared to think in new ways, he did not always accept their ideas. It often took time before he could approve them. But once he had finished pondering and embraced the ideas, he often presented them as his own or as his family’s. The same happened with the tetrahedron: after Torudd had told him about how the filling problem could be solved, it took a few weeks before Rausing had finished thinking and definitively realized that the tetrahedron was worth a try."

"Intensive work ensued. The basic idea was clear. Also, it was clear that Torudd had solved the filling problem when he formulated the theory of continuous filling. The tetrahedron would be manufactured in long chains by transforming the paper into a tube. The tube would be shaped beneath the surface of the liquid and then cut off. The problem was just that no one knew how. Never before had anyone heat-sealed paper straight through a column of milk. And there was no machine that could do it."

"“It’s damn like talking to a fish,” Torudd thought. Although Torudd did not know it, the harsh words took effect. Hans realized that this time it was serious. He contacted Ruben and Holger. In the evening, the three gathered for a dramatic meeting. They agreed that Gad was not up to the role as head of paper production. Ruben, with his dynastic ambitions, was shaken by how serious the situation was. That one of his sons, born with such good prospects, would fail so spectacularly was something he could never have imagined. But there was only one possible decision if they wanted to save Tetra Pak – even Ruben realized this: Gad could no longer be involved with production. Formally, he remained on the board and retained the title of vice CEO."

"As the tetrahedron later succeeded globally, various myths about its origin developed: one of them is that it was merely by chance that Wallenberg came up with the solution, since he was actually just playing with some paper while he was home in a feverish delirium. Rausing himself told this story in various contexts. Another version of the story is that Ruben Rausing himself came up with the tetrahedron when he saw his wife stuffing sausages. He also started referring to the tetrahedron as “his patent,” which was correct but gave a misleading impression that he had invented it himself. And Torudd’s idea of continuous filling, he attributed to his wife."

"When Ruben showed them what he and his energetic employees were working on, all three became enthusiastic and encouraged him to further develop the idea. It became a very important spur for Ruben. He had already been convinced that they were on the right track. But now, when he also received confirmation from people who did not work within the company, he became completely sure of his case. At the same time, he realized, in a moment of humility, that he could not do it without Holger, Torudd, Järund, and Erik Wallenberg. What he himself would take care of was the financing, his strong side. He was aware that he was about to take on a heavy, but completely necessary task. If it were to work, he had to build a tightly-knit team, where all members truly believed in the task. He decided to test the commitment and distribute the responsibilities at the next company dinner."

"It was not until further into the new year that Ruben’s worries were alleviated. After much reflection over the Christmas and New Year holidays, Torudd explained to him that he accepted the new organization, although he had some objections. Among other things, he believed that Hans should have more sales experience before being made CEO. Ruben agreed and added relieved: “I hope that the cooperation between you two really becomes intimate.” “I hope so too. And I also believe it can be – provided that each one is clear about their tasks,” Erik Torudd replied, thereby clarifying that he would not accept Hans interfering in his work."