Sweden's ROLLSROLLER is Quietly Reshaping Vinyl Application

By James "Ruggs" Kochevar

Built in-house. Engineered for speed. Trusted in over 50 countries.

In Karlstad, Sweden, a tool built to solve one shop’s vinyl bottleneck quietly became a global standard. For over 20 years, ROLLSROLLER has produced flatbed applicators known for speed, precision, and durability—all engineered and built under one roof.

At the center of it all is Göran Johansson, a former paper mill worker turned inventor and CEO.

“I originally intended to start a welding and assembly business, but ended up starting a sign-making firm with my brother by chance…”

That was 1988. Göran’s path wasn’t planned, but his knack for invention and eye for improvement shaped what would become a global brand. ROLLSROLLER now exports over 98% of its machines, but its first model was built just for in-house use.

“I built the first prototype for the company’s own use in the autumn of 1995...”

It ran so smoothly that Göran named it the Royce Roller. After clearing the name with Rolls-Royce, it became ROLLSROLLER. A later naming conflict with Rolex over the Roll-X went to court in Canada—Göran won that one too.

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