IKEA making it one of the largest users of wood in the retail sector. Most of IKEA's stores and factories were previously owned by INGKA, a holding company controlled by the Stichting INGKA Foundation, one of the 40 wealthiest foundations in the world. Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943 as a mostly mail-order sales business. It began to sell furniture five years later. The first Möbel-IKÉA store was opened in Älmhult, Småland, in 1958 (Möbel means "furniture" in Swedish). The first stores outside Sweden were opened in Norway (1963) and Denmark (1969). The stores spread to other parts of Europe in
Sandstrom Products Company Sandstrom Products Company Sandstrom Products Company is a privately held coatings and lubricants manufacturer founded in 1946 in Port Byron, Illinois. The company was established as a paint manufacturer, but over time it expanded its products to provide more than 400 different items. Sandstrom’s products include coatings, which are coverings applied to the surface of objects. Sandstrom coatings are used for aerospace, automotive, weapons, and industrial applications. The company also manufactures dry film lubricants used to maintain and repair locks. Robert V. Sandstrom founded the company in 1946 in Port Byron, Illinois. He established the company after graduating from Augustana