Paul Toll
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Paul Sequens Esaias Toll (September 7, 1882 in Småland – July 3, 1946) was a Swedish construction engineer and co-founder, together with Ivar Kreuger, of the construction company Kreuger & Toll.
Paul Toll was born in the parish of Berga in Kronoberg County, Småland. The name Toll springs from the small village Tollstad, south of Alvestra in the province of Östergötland, Sweden. In 1913, he married Gunhild Engwall, with whom he raised six children.
Together with Ivar Kreuger, Paul Toll formed the engineering and construction company Kreuger & Toll in 1908. Toll played the main role in the construction projects while Ivar Kreuger handled the business contacts and marketing of the company. When he met Ivar Kreuger in early 1908, Ivar offered him to be his joint owner in a newly established company. Paul wrote a letter to his father Karl Toll in Mars 23, 1908 to give him some information about Ivar and probably was asking his father for an advice what to do, as Paul Toll was working for another company at that time: (translated to English), "After a 7-year period working as a trainee in America, engineer Kreuger, that is his name, has worked with a lot projects with concrete steel in different places around the world. He has now made me an offer to become his joint owner." This was the starting point for one of the world's most famous companies but not in the construction business but as a holding company with the same name including a construction company. After some years Ivar Kreuger became more focused in founding large corporations. To start with in the match-industry to save the Kreuger family match factories that was facing financial problems in 1912 and later in other industries. In 1917 the company founded the subsidiary company, Kreuger & Toll Construction Co., run by Paul Toll. Kreuger & Toll Co. then became a holding company, run by Ivar Kreuger. Paul and Ivar, however kept a close contact over the years and the construction business grow rapidly. In 1932 when the Kreuger Crash came the holding company went bankrupt but the other part survived and Paul then changed the company name to just Toll Construction Co. His most famous projects was the warehouse NK (1913-14), the Stockholm Olympic Stadium (1911-12) and the hospital Södersjukhuset (1944) in Stockhom.
Paul was a member of the board for the Kreuger & Toll holding company all along to the end, in 1932 but did not participate much in these discussions as he was occupied with the construction business. Paul was the family man that was satisfied with his construction business while Ivar was heading for "higher" goals. To what extend Ivar was involved in the construction business from 1917 and later on, when the Swedish Match had been founded, is not clear but he certainly had business contacts that the Kreuger & Toll Construction Co. could benefit from.
[edit] References
- Toll, Magnus: Paul Toll 1882-1946, ingeniör-entreprenör. 1996. Swedish language. ISBN-no does not exists. Private book, out on the second hand market in Sweden.
