Mustad Timeline

About Mustad

Mustad Timeline

2012 The owner of Mustad, NLI Utvikling, now changes its name to Ard. By doing this the company wishes to focus on its effort to cultivate ownership. Ard aims to be the best owner of their companies. This change is a natural step in a long history, and comes as a result of substantial growth and expansion over the last 15 years. Ard means “plough”, and successful turnarounds are what Ard wants to be associated with.

2011 After 179 years under the stewardship of the Mustad family, Mustad has been acquired by the private investment company NLI-Utvikling A.S. 2008-09 The last building stage of the Wuxi fish hook plant in China completed. It is now the largest fish hook factory in the world.

2007 Mustad 175 years.

2004 O. Mustad & Sön AS is split into Mustad Longline, manufacturing products and equipment for mechanised longlining, and a separate real estate company, Mustad Naeringspark, which manages and develops Mustad’s large properties in Gjövik, Norway. International fish hook activities remain with O. Mustad & Sön.

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 Wuxi, the Jiangsu Province.

2003 Mustad opens a new factory in Wuxi, China. First building stage completed.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1889 Fly tying is started in Gjövik. 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 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 Gjövik,
closed down in 1986.

1940 Mustad takes over a foundry and mechanical work shop in Gjövik
(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.

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

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

1877 Production of fish hooks is started in Gjövik.

1876 Nail production is transferred from Gjövik to Oslo.

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

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

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

1832 Establishedin Gjövik by the farmer Hans Skikkelstad, who starts production of various types of wire for fencing and nails.