Mustad Timeline

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MUSTAD TIMELINE

[ About Mustad ]

1832
Established in Gjøvik by the farmer Hans Skikkelstad, who starts production of various types of wire for fencing and nails.

1843
His son in law, Ole Mustad, takes over in 1843 under the company name of "O. Mustad".

1860-70
Mustad enters into such activities as foundry, sawmill, lumber and trade.
New products are launched.

1874
Hans Mustad becomes co-owner.
The company is named "O. Mustad & Son".

1876
Nail production is transferred from Gjøvik to Oslo.

1877
Production of fish hooks is started in Gjøvik.

1881
Starts production of horse shoe nails, which becomes the most important product for the coming 40-50 years.

1886
The first establishment abroad: a nail factory in Finland.

1889
Fly tying is started in Gjøvik. The foundry activity is transferred from Gjøvik to Oslo, and wood burning stoves and kitchen ranges from Mustad are becoming very popular.

1920
Mustad is now an international company with factories in several European countries. Horse shoe nails and fish hooks are sold almost all over the world.

1930-40
Mustad owns 25 companies in 13 countries in Europe.

1934
A large engine works is taken over in Germany. Their production of fish hooks is closed down. Starts to produce zippers in Gjøvik, closed down in 1986.

1940
Mustad takes over a foundry and mechanical work shop in Gjøvik (establ. 1890).

1945-48
Due to nationalization of subsidiaries in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Jugoslavia, Mustad loses a major part of its business.

1952
Mustad takes over a fish hook manufacturing company in Auburn, USA. Production is closed down in 1960. Sales and packaging company in Auburn from 1968.

1968
The Mustad Group concentrates all its activities in the Oslo area, at Lilleaker (administration and production).

1971
Fish hook factory built in Singapore. Expanded to
Malaysia in 1981.

1986
The production of nails in Oslo is sold.
The Mustad Group reorganises into three operating companies.

1988-91
New subsidiaries in the Philippines (1988), Brazil (1988) and Portugal (1989/91).

1989
The hardware business in Oslo is closed down.
The screw and self-service activites are sold.
Opening of a shopping centre in Oslo.

1993
A sales company (fish hooks for angling) is established in St. Petersburg, Russia.

1995
The Mustad Group sells out all its interests in the food production business. Production of margarine is phased out during 1996.

1996
Mustad takes over Partridge of Redditch , an old well-established fish hook manufacturing company in the UK, which will continue to be marketed as a separate brand.

1997
The Mustad Group is split into three separate companies with independent Mustad family owners.

1998
Mustad opens World Wide Web site on 1 June.

1999
Mustad opens an office in Miami, Florida, in order to better respond to the needs of the Latin American market.

2001
Mustad opens a packing facility in the Dominican Republic to serve North American and South American markets. Ground-breaking ceremony in China, initiating production of fish hooks in the Jiangsu Province.

2002
Mustad Twin Anniversaries:
Mustad as a company
- 170 years,
Mustad as the bestselling hook brand in the world
- 125 years.

2003
Mustad opens a new factory in Wuxi, China. New sales office for Africa and the Middle East is established in Cape Town, South Africa.

2005
Mustad makes an effort of becoming a total supplier of fishing gear in Norway and extends the product range quite drastically. The new structure entails that Mustad will not only supply products to distributors, but also supply products directly to retailers. This means access to a broader assortment, higher level of service and shorter delivery time. A new "hungry" sales team is on the road to conquer the Norwegian market.

2007
Mustad 175 years.

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