Aviagen SweChick and Nordic Poultry Producers Celebrate 50 Years Together
September marks 50 years of Aviagen® SweChick serving Nordic and Baltic poultry producers.
17 October 2025
2 minute read
By: September marked half a century of Aviagen® SweChick working hand in hand with poultry producers in Denmark, Finland Sweden, Norway and Iceland as well as supplying chicks to the Baltics.
Honoring customers
To celebrate the occasion, SweChick welcomed more than 50 customers and sector representatives to a special anniversary event in mid-September. The gathering highlighted the strong collaboration between SweChick and its customers — a relationship that has shaped the company’s story over five decades.
Exploring recent advances
Knowledge exchange was at the heart of the program. Managing Director Magnus Swalander opened the sessions with an outlook on SweChick’s future direction. Espen Sørlie from Nortura Samvirkekylling offered a customer perspective on how production and farming systems have evolved over time. Jens Lesuisse, Global Product Director, outlined the process behind developing existing and new breeds, and Brendan Duggan, Director of R&D, explored what the future holds for the next generation of chickens.
Swalander reflected, “We owe our 50 years in the region to our customers, whose dedication has enabled them to breed successful flocks for a market that values chicken so highly. Our role is to stand beside them — offering trusted Ross® 308 as well as slower growing parent stock like the Rustic Gold®, investing locally to strengthen supply security, and supporting them in raising healthy, efficient birds. By providing choice, we help our customers meet a wide variety of market needs while advancing welfare and sustainability across our breed portfolio.”
Recognizing employees
The celebrations continued the following day with a dedicated event for SweChick employees and contract farm owners, recognizing their vital role as the people behind the birds. From caring for flocks to driving improvements in welfare, efficiency and performance — and to breeding success together with our customers — their commitment has been essential to the company’s journey. “They make it possible to deliver robust parent stock throughout the region, and we are proud of all they do,” added Swalander.
About Aviagen
Since 1923, Aviagen® has been recognized as a preferred global poultry breeding company. Its mission is to “Breed Success Together” with its valued customers, supporting these global chicken producers in their crucial endeavor to supply sustainable, affordable and nutritious protein to communities worldwide. Committed to driving positive change in the poultry industry, Aviagen implements efficiencies that not only make commercial chicken production environmentally and socially responsible, but also economically beneficial to producers. Their holistic approach focuses on simultaneously enhancing flock performance, health and welfare, while ensuring food safety and security by upholding the highest biosecurity standards.
To meet varied market demands, Aviagen offers a full portfolio of breeding stock under the Arbor Acres®, Indian River® and Ross® brand names. The Rowan Range® and Specialty Males® target slower-growing and other niche market needs. Aviagen is based in Huntsville, Alabama, US., with operations across the UK, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the US, and joint ventures in Asia. The company employs close to 8,000 people, and serves customers in 100 countries.
For more information, please visit Aviagen.com, or follow Aviagen on LinkedIn.
Aviagen, the Aviagen logo, Ross and the Ross Logo, Rowan Range and the Rowan Range logo, are registered trademarks of Aviagen in the US and other countries. All other trademarks or brands are registered by their respective owners.
