The man behind the vision of a sustainable Boden

The offices of Nordmark AB are located among horse farms, next to the stable of harness racing trainer Petri Salmela, in Bränslan just outside Boden’s city centre.

Sture Nordmark explains quietly that it is not the most optimal location for his business, but for various reasons, he has remained there. The office itself perhaps reflects his personality: an entrepreneur who has played many roles in Boden’s development over the past 50 years—often working in the background.

“For some reason, I’ve become involved in various projects, but maybe I was ahead of my time now and then,” he says.

A lifelong focus on reuse

One example of his forward thinking is a dome-roofed building on Petri Salmela’s property. It was once a greenhouse owned by Sture Nordmark, intended for large-scale lettuce production. The idea would resurface years later, but at the time, the business never took off. Instead, the building became part of the horse farm with a different purpose.

The principle of reusing materials has been a cornerstone of the 77-year-old’s career. This mindset took shape in the 1970s, during the construction of new housing areas. Rather than transporting asphalt and gravel to landfill, he reused them for preparing new land.

“Many thought I was crazy and questioned what I was doing. I even got some serious scoldings. But most later apologised, admitting it turned out both well and much cheaper.”

At that time, convincing politicians, civil servants, and business leaders to invest in recycling was like “trying to plough a field with a teaspoon.” Resistance was strong and vocal.

“I felt incredibly alone. I remember the full-page article in NSD with the headline ‘Europe’s largest landfill’.”

Gradually, more people stopped to look at his illustration and listen. Waste began to be sorted and recycled instead of piled up. The municipality bought land to enable investment in recycling and environmental technology, and recycling became part of Boden’s profile.

A vision realised

Today, much of his 1998 drawing has become reality, and the area has a name: Boden Cleantech Center. Alongside the municipal recycling facility, Fortum Recycling & Waste has built a site to receive and dispose of hazardous waste from the region. They are also seeking a new permit to expand and work with the recycling of environmentally damaged materials.

Next door, Sture Nordmark’s own company processes and recycles construction and industrial materials. Other companies are waiting for land allocations to establish themselves in the remaining undeveloped plots.

No longer “Europe’s largest landfill,” the area is now seen as one of Boden’s most attractive development zones, with a clear strategy to support innovation and environmental technology. Its proximity to Boden Industrial Park, where Stegra is building the world’s first large-scale green steel plant, offers unique opportunities for collaboration.

“How do I feel about what’s happening today? A great sense of vindication. This is good for Boden and for the future, and many are now working on the issues I fought for. Of course, it feels good.”

Ideas on paper

In the drawers of his office are piles of paper covered with illustrations—ideas that have surfaced over the years and been stored away.

“I realised early on that it was easier to get people on board if I made a drawing. So I always try to do that when I get an idea.”

Some sketches are for ongoing projects, others were never tested, and some have been carried out with varying results.

One idea that needed more time was the greenhouse mentioned earlier. Initially, the heating costs at the horse farm site made it unprofitable. Today, the conditions are different. Sture was one of the initiators behind a unique greenhouse at Boden Plug & Play, heated by waste heat from a data centre and used since 2022 to test growing various fruits, plants, and vegetables. The project is a collaboration between the municipality, local businesses, and academia to develop more sustainable food production.

“I thought it sounded really exciting when I heard about the possibility, and now we’ve shown that it works. In a way, it’s a pity I’m not younger, because it feels like the greenhouse train has left for me. But I’m convinced greenhouse cultivation will be a future industry in Boden.”

Although he says he has slowed down, full-time retirement is not on the horizon.

“That’s not for me. As long as ideas keep coming, I’ll keep trying to make something of them.”