Get to know the man behind Edurus
The story of Edurus is the story of Marcus Skinnar, the man who changed the tombstone industry and paved the way for transparency, safety and accessibility..
Marcus was born in Malung into a family with a long history in the leather industry and with entrepreneurship in his blood. Inspired by the adventurer Marco Polo, Marcus dreamed of a life as an adventurer and trader from a young age. After studying Chinese in China, Marcus did his master’s thesis in business administration at Lund University on the Swedish tombstone industry.

After graduation, Marcus was employed as a purchasing manager at IKEA in northern China, and it was there that he first came into contact with the stone industry. He quickly realized that granite from China was superior when he started comparing quality and prices. Driven by his interest in quality and purchasing, Marcus then left IKEA and became a purchasing agent for companies such as Skanska, NCC, and Peab. He was involved in major projects such as Södra länken, Kista Science Tower, Kista Centrum and Hammarby Sjöstad.
After working with granite exports to Sweden and supplying semi-finished products to Fonus, Marcus decided to focus on the gravestone business. When Fonus closed down its stone industry in China, Marcus and his team saw an opportunity to open a new factory. It was named Edurus, which means ‘rock hard’ or ‘long lasting’ in Latin. Right from the start, the vision was clear: to make tombstones more accessible to everyone.
“I realized the need for change in the industry. What was expensive about tombstones was the movement of the stone itself, so by minimizing that we could also cut costs,” says Marcus.
By introducing transparent pricing and making it easier for customers to choose between different stones, the industry gradually started to change. Edurus introduced fixed prices for gravestones, regardless of the finish or number of characters on the stone. Marcus also identified a need for safety equipment in the stone industry and ensured that safety equipment was available both in its own factories and at subcontractors.
The impact of digitalization
Edurus is not only a company that has changed the industry, but is also continuously adapting to the digital age. Marcus sees digitalization and the AI wave as huge opportunities for the industry.
“We are convinced that AI will revolutionize tailoring, and something that will allow us to reach globally. AI allows for much more specific and tailored results in an efficient way,” says Marcus.
Marcus is optimistic about the future of Edurus and looks forward to further digitizing and modernizing the industry. His early vision has enabled people to manage and understand stone in a simpler and more cost-effective way. Through his work, he has not only created a successful company, but also driven real change in an otherwise traditional and closed industry.