Nicklas Gryth

Public toilets are more than just toilets. They are an opportunity to provide a useful social service. We make toilets that are safe, accessible and useable by the public.

Say hello to Nicklas Gryth – a project manager who embarked on his Danfo journey 12 years ago as a repairman and assembler. For the past six years, in his current role, Nicklas has been in charge of the entire process, from planning to placement of public toilets.

Nicklas, what is it you actually do as a project manager for public toilets?

I would say my job is to help make sure we can deliver good solutions in the right place in all sorts of settings. As a project manager, I’m involved right from the start, and being involved early on means I can help make what we deliver as good as it can be, both for our immediate customer and for the public.

Why are toilets so important in our public spaces?

Public toilets are a hygienic function that should be available in various settings – along roads with rest areas, in natural recreation areas and in cities. There is a huge need, and I think it’s important to make them accessible. That may be what we work on more than anything else: accessibility. Because that’s the most important thing of all, that everybody, whether it’s a child or someone with a disability or illness, should be able and want to use public toilets.

But besides serving a hygienic function, we want our public toilets to help create a safe city. We are seeing increased problems with housing and crime in some cities, and we are trying to be part of the solution. Through proper siting, design and lighting, we create safer, more accessible environments. We’re also testing new smart solutions so we can create even safer environments in cooperation with municipalities, security companies and social services.

That sounds fantastic. Where do you find inspiration for innovative solutions?

At Danfo, we’ve all kind of turned into building nerds. My wife is probably pretty tired of me always being curious about toilet buildings, and wanting to stop and look at toilets when we’re on holiday, haha!  Now we’ve changed owners, too – we’re owned by a venture capital company – which means we have to develop and improve faster, and which has created opportunities for new innovations.

You seem like a fish in water, so to speak. How does the future look?

My time at Danfo has been a great opportunity to develop. It’s great to be able to grow as a person within the same company. But it’s just as great to see how the company is growing, and have the opportunity to help customers understand that a public toilet is not just a necessary evil. Instead, it’s a benefit to the community that can both complement and lift up an urban setting.