TePe is a privately held Swedish company founded in 1965. We develop, manufacture and sell high quality, functional oral hygiene products in cooperation with dental experts.
We care for healthy smiles
Our vision is for people to be able to keep their teeth for life. It is our aim to raise awareness of preventive dental care, interdental cleaning and the connection between oral and general health. Through our functional quality products, we strive to make good oral health possible for everyone. Healthy teeth – throughout life.
TePe´s business concept is to develop, manufacture and sell high quality, functional oral hygiene products, in collaboration with dental expertise.
Our well-known TePe Interdental Brush, together with our toothbrushes, special brushes and dental sticks, are used daily by consumers and dental professionals in 60 countries worldwide.
Preventive dental care since 1965
The history of TePe began in 1965, when wood-carver Henning Eklund, in cooperation with professors of the School of Dentistry in Malmö, developed a new kind of dental stick, which was triangular to fit the natural shape of the interdental space. From the very beginning, TePe had a focus on interdental cleaning and preventive dental care, collaborating closely with the dental care profession.
Henning’s son Bertil Eklund continued to develop the company. In 1973, TePe manufactured their first toothbrush, which quickly became a Swedish favourite. Today, more than one fourth of all toothbrushes purchased in Sweden are TePe branded. In 1993, TePe introduced their interdental brushes, which have grown to be the company's leading product group. The interdental brushes were also a result of odontological research and the close relationship with dental professionals. For his achievements, Bertil Eklund was awarded the Royal Patriotic Society Business Medal and appointed Honorary Doctor at the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University.
In 1997, the new CEO Birgitta Nilsson initiated an internationalization of the company with a focus on exports and the establishment of a number of subsidiaries abroad. Under her leadership, the turnover increased from approximately 30 to 300 million SEK.
TePe is still owned by the Eklund family, and CEO since 2012 is Joel Eklund, grandson of the founder. In 2012, TePe acquired its distributor in the UK, TePe's largest market alongside Germany and Sweden. In 2014, TePe launched TePe EasyPick™, the next generation silicone-coated dental stick, which received the prestigious Red Dot Award. In connection with TePe's 50th anniversary in 2015, the Eklund family established the Eklund Foundation for Odontological Research and Education, resting on the donation of 5.5 MEUR/50 MSEK.
The international expansion has continued and TePe has reached a turnover of 700 MSEK (2017), with 320 employees in six countries and exports to over 60 countries. Throughout this journey, TePe has chosen to keep the headquarters and all production in Malmo, where it all began. In 2016, TePe was awarded Job Comet of the Year for their job creation efforts in Malmo, and the Export Hermes Award for their successful exports. In 2018, TePe received the Malmö Business Award in Life Science.