Our story | Colmis

40 winters with you

An open and independent winter proving ground that serves the global automotive industry.

Our Story

For close to 40 years, Colmis has been a privileged witness to the incessant development of the automotive industry and its winter testing activity, where we have and continue to play a key role in this dynamic journey. Colmis is a story of growth, which has been steady and constant since our formation.

Our development manifests itself through our growing infrastructure portfolio, including our expanding range of multipurpose tracks, workshops, office spaces, cold chambers and more recently EV charging stations. Even accommodation is among our offerings.

The home of winter testing

From testing the cold to powering the future

The First Winters (1985–Late 1990s)

Colmis began with a simple idea and a passion for winter. The first office was a family home.

The first tracks were shaped directly on a frozen lake. Innovation started early, with the introduction of the split-μ in 1987.

Lars-Gunnar Gyllenberg and Harald Fjellström, co-founders of Colmis. Small picture: Harald’s family house, still used as an office building today.

A Story of Heritage and Development

Growing Beyond the Lake (2000s)

As customers returned year after year, the operation expanded. Simloc strengthened the all-in-one service. Quality systems formalised processes.

The open proving ground model introduced a flexible structure where customers could share tracks in a coordinated way – while still securing exclusive access when required.

Scaling with Structure (2010s)

Digital coordination improved safety and efficiency. Driver Training and ColmisPlus expanded expertise beyond infrastructure.

After more than three decades, the founders stepped back, handing the reins to a new generation.
The foundation they built
remained strong.

Arjeplog, a lot more than a cold place

Expanding towards the Future (2020s)

Testing moved beyond seasonal lake conditions. High-power charging infrastructure supported the electrification era.

Colmis continues to adapt
– winter by winter.

Drag or use arrows

Colmis: A story of heritage and development

The pic on the left was taken on a summer day in the 80s: Lars-Gunnar Gyllenberg and Harald Fjellström, cofounders of Colmis. The pic on the right was taken at the end of 2022/2023 winter season: Per Gyllenberg and Mikael Hallin, replicating the iconic photo of their fathers. Mikael (CEO) and Per (Deputy Manager) are the current leaders of Colmis and showcase the family heritage within the company.

Each one of them has their own personality. Each one has their own style. But one vision has continued throughout the company’s history: welcoming customers from all over the world, customising the offerings to the changing requirements, and making out of Colmis more than a proving ground: the home of winter testing.

Harald and Lars-Gunnar. Lars-Gunnar and Harald.

The story told by those who built it

The two founders - now long retired - recently sat down together to look back on how Colmis began.

The early days. The milestones. They talk about why it happened, how it happened, and what those first winters were really like. The decisions that shaped everything that followed.

As part of our 40-year celebrations, we released a special documentary film:

Colmis – The Home of Winter Testing: The story told by its founders

Rather than telling the full story for you here, we’ll let the founders do that themselves.

Did you know that...?

The name Colmis originates from the lake situated in Colmis: Storkålmis. “Stor” meaning “big” in Swedish, so something like the “big Kålmis”. And from Kålmis it was romanised into “Colmis”.

The name Simloc, the accommodation business, is also closely connected. Simply read Colmis from back to front and there you have the answer.

The first workshop at Colmis, built in 1985, still stands today, and is within the area currently used by long-term customer Stellantis.