O. Mustad & Søn
O. Mustad & Søn is one of the oldest Norwegian industrial companies, founded in Gjøvik in 1832 . Mustad used to produce nails, margarine and iron goods, among other things, but is now known as the world's largest producer of fishing hooks , which are exported to more than 160 countries.
history
The company was originally founded as Brusveen Spiger- og Staaltraadfabrik by Hans Skikkelstad in Vardal near Gjøvik. His son-in-law, Ole Mustad , took over the factory in 1843 and changed the name to O. Mustad . Mustad's son, Hans Mustad , became co-owner in 1874, so the name was again changed to O. Mustad & Søn . In 1877 the company started producing fishing hooks.
Between 1875 and 1890, the company opened a number of factories at Lilleaker in Oslo . Among other things, nails (1876), margarine (1889), ovens (1889), axes, screws and other hardware were produced there. The industrial area in Lilleaker was completely taken over after Nitroglycerin Compagniet was severely damaged by a major explosion on April 24, 1874. The reason for the takeover was its proximity to the market and a suitable port.
In the period between 1890 and 1930, there was a major expansion with the acquisition and establishment of over 300 companies in most European countries. The main production was nails for horseshoes , but fish hooks and screws were also made. The main reasons for the expansion were the protective tariffs introduced in most countries and the lower transport costs that could be achieved with local production.
After World War II, Mustad's factories in Eastern Europe were nationalized, and the company lost about half of its manufacturing facilities and about 8,000 workers. Due to the decentralized company structure, the rest of the company could continue to work unhindered and, like most other industries, experienced a great boom in the 50s and 60s.
The oil crisis of the 1970s halted that growth and, like many other companies, Mustad underwent restructuring. In 1970 the company was converted into a stock corporation and in 1977 it was split into two companies, Mustad Industrier AS and Mustad International Group BV , the former later being renamed Mustad AS .
At the end of the 1970s the company started producing fishing accessories such as B. fishing lines or bait. In the 1980s, the production of screws and hardware was partially stopped and sold.
vehicle construction
The company started producing automobiles in 1916 . Production was stopped in 1937.
Six-wheel
The first model was offered between 1916 and 1917. It was a large vehicle with six wheels, two in the front and four in the back. Initially, a four-cylinder engine was used, which was replaced in 1917 by a six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 7000 cm³ and an output of 85 hp . There were sedan and torpedo body styles .
Single seater
The next model was presented in 1935. It was a small coupé in the style of the Fiat 500 Topolino that offered space for one person.
Two vehicles of this brand can be seen in the Norsk Kjøretøyhistorisk Museum in Lillehammer .
literature
- Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The great automobile encyclopedia. BLV, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-405-12974-5
- George Nick Georgano : Cars. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, 1975 (French)
Web links
- The company's website (English)
