Conglomerate, 1969–1977

The conglomerate, 1969–1977

During the first few years of Stokke's company history its organisation was simple and clear. Everyone understood what people were talking about when Stokke the furniture manufacturer was mentioned. It was known as Stokke Fabrikker, a manufacturer of reclining chairs, lounge furniture and contract furniture, located since 1948 in Moa in the municipality of Ålesund. The fact that the company collaborated on exports and sales with Westnofa Ltd. in Ørsta and Blindheim Møbelfabrikk did hardly anything to detract from this view. It was just the way that all furniture companies with ambitions of being something more than just a flyby night company were organised.

But Stokke had ambitions far beyond this. During the years 1964-65, the desire to find new business areas, possibly combined with the desire to please some district mayors by providing new jobs, was responsible for making the organisation far less transparent than had previously been the case.

One key to understanding the expansion that followed was offered by Georg Stokke himself. He quickly returned to working full-time after his unplanned absence due to illness in 1965. At that time Georg was a man in the prime of his life, in his mid -50s, with a range of unrealised business ambitions. For Georg Stokke and his peers in the Sunnmøre furniture industry, the desire to have several legs to stand on was part of a survival strategy which they exploited more or less consciously. With low establishment and production costs, this was a strategy which could be used without incurring any great financial risks, providing them with a safety net. If one model or a product range fell by the wayside, the company had alternatives which could help it through the loss, giving time to find new solutions. There were plenty of examples of companies that had staked everything on one product, or on one recipient of sub-deliveries, which had to shut down when the one leg they rested on collapsed. Georg Stokke did not want to expose himself or his employees to such risks. Experience gained by Stokke during the 1970s helped to confirm that this was a sensible strategy. Up until the early 1970s, Stokke Fabrikker had enjoyed great success and made substantial profits on its reclining chairs. I 1971, Ekornes presented its Stressless recliner, taking a huge bite out of the reclining chair market. It was then a good thing to have several legs and companies to rely on.

With effect from 1965, the company that had initially been called Stokke Fabrikker AS developed from having a simple and easily recognisable size to being a conglomerate of companies. Around 1975 it was no longer quite so easy to know what people were talking about when the name Stokke was mentioned. It would depend on the whereabouts of the person who was talking, i.e. whether they were in Vågå in Ottadalen, in Åndalsnes in Rauma, in Tranås in Sweden or in Tennfjord in Sunnmøre. The only thing that one could be fairly certain about was that it was someone with the surname of Stokke who owned the company that was the focus of everyone's attention.

Vågå Bruk was established in 1966. At that time Georg Stokke was back at work full-time following his absence due to illness. Georg was eager that Stokke should expand its range of models to include pine furniture. In August 1965, after it became clear that Stokke would be developing a pine furniture factory in Vågå, the employees of Stokke Fabrikker were offered a trip to Vågå to see the new factory being constructed. This photo shows employees travelling down to Vågå by coach.

Vågå Møbler – newcomer in pine

When Georg returned after his illness, initially as a discussion partner and brainstormer, he started to pursue an idea that he had been mulling over about Stokke including traditional pine furniture in its collection. Kåre was not immediately enthusiastic about this idea, but like his father he saw that pine furniture was becoming increasingly popular in both the domestic and foreign markets, and Stokke had recently gained access to the latter through Westnofa Ltd. When Kåre attended an export exhibition in Stavanger in 1964, modern pine furniture had been one of the hottest products on display. During the following year, Rastad & Relling (a firm of architects), launched its Futurum range which combined traditional materials and functions with a modern look.

One of the reasons why Stokke was able to start thinking about business expansion was that its operations were starting to be profitable after many lean years. Kåre Stokke says, “In 1965 we started to gain control over our finances, and as soon as we earned one krone we would spend two. Father insisted that we should try this project with pine furniture. I was initially rather reluctant, but eventually gave in on the condition that we should have a special pine factory.”

Industry involvement

Apart from managing a furniture factory which was on the brink of developing into a group with several different areas of activity, Kåre Stokke also found time to become involved in the industrial federations representing the furniture industry. For several years he was active in the Møre branch of the National Association of Furniture Producers (MPL). The Møre branch was definitely the largest and most active of all the Association's national branches. At its annual general meeting in Røros in 1972, Kåre Stokke accepted an appointment as Chairman of the National Association of Furniture Producers. Prior to this he had served as Deputy Chairman of the Association. During Kåre's chairmanship the MPL had been heavily involved in exhibition activities. At that time it was unclear where the best marketing and sales results could be achieved. The Cologne Exhibition was in the process of becoming the most important meeting place for the furniture industry in Northern Europe. In 1974, the MPL's exhibition committee voted to drop the Sjølyst exhibition at home and focus instead on strong Norwegian participation at the Cologne Exhibition.36 Some of those involved favoured exhibiting at the London Furniture Exhibition. Copenhagen had already proved to be a success, while the furniture exhibition in Stockholm was a less popular choice. Kåre only served for one period as the Chairman of the MPL. His work as the Director of Stokke was regarded as demanding enough.

Vågå Bruk started off well. During the first year there were five people employed in the Production Division and one in the Administration Department. The following year there were 28 employees on the payroll. Manager Erik Holø is seen here showing off the company's chairs. The second construction phase at Vågåmo, July 1967.

Local managers

Both father and son decided that they should contact some of the municipalities in northern Gudbrandsdalen to see if any of them were interested in collaborating on the establishment of a new pine furniture factory. One of the reasons why they considered northern Gudbrandsdalen to be the best location for such a factory, was that this area had both the pine materials required and the knowledge needed to treat such materials. Another advantage was the fact that this part of eastern Norway possessed a unilateral commercial infrastructure based on primary industry. In 1960 the political authorities established the Regional Development Fund (DU) in order to promote new industrial developments in areas with vulnerable and unilateral trade and industry. The state provided loans with favourable terms and establishment support for municipalities and companies wishing to establish new industrial activities in areas such as northern Gudbrandsdalen.

Out of all the municipalities approached by Stokke, the only reply they received was from the municipality of Vågå and its dynamic mayor, Sigurd Granrud, who said that he would be very interested in meeting the people from Sunnmøre. He travelled to Ålesund and a working relationship was established.

The management of Stokke had great faith in the fact that Norwegian pine furniture would be suitable for export. Initially they considered exporting just to the Scandinavian countries. In order to facilitate sales in Denmark, they established links with the Danish woodworking factory Farstrup Savværk & Stolefabrik in Odense.

The municipality of Vågå proved to be highly cooperative and embarked on the construction of a 1,000 square meter municipal industrial building. After this building was completed it was taken over by Stokke. The construction manager responsible for the project was Chief Municipal Engineer Erik Holø. Once construction had been completed, Holø was offered and accepted the position of General Manager of Vågå Bruk. The Production Manager, Trygve Auale, was handpicked from the carpentry workshop at Aker Mekaniske Verksted in Oslo. With these two managers in charge, Kåre and Georg Stokke felt that their new subsidiary was in the best possible hands.

Absence during the hunting season

Production at Vågå commenced in early 1966. The production equipment was obtained partly from Stokke's factory in Spjelkavik and partly from Farstrup in Denmark, while some of it was purchased new. Staffing was carefully planned right from the start, with three employees on the payroll. Very soon this number grew to 10, some of whom were women. This was one of the reasons why Stokke was so welcomed to Vågå. Speaking to Sunnmørsposten in 1972, Mayor Granrud said that before Stokke arrived, industrial employers in the municipality of Vågå had mainly been interested in only hiring male employees. A company offering employment to women as well might help to prevent girls from leaving their home municipality.37

It took a little time before Vågå Bruk achieved a production flow that could be called industrial. This was the first furniture industry company in the area. None of the people employed at the

Managing Director Erik Holø at Vågå Bruk standing next to a stack of pine chairs that are ready for assembly. (Sunnmørsposten 21.1.1976.)

Vågå Bruk AS following extension in 1975/76. The company had over 5,000 m2 of production premises at its disposal on one floor. The production and storage halls were in the building on the left, while the drier was located on the right. (Sunnmørsposten 21.1.1976.)

company during the first few years had any experience with industrial furniture production. The model carpenter who was employed was well-qualified on the professional front. He had previously been a woodcarver and a clockmaker, and devoted a lot of thought and care to the treatment of his materials. There were probably also some cultural problems when the people from Sunnmøre demanded a rapid transport of materials from craftsmen who were used to assessing each piece of wood carefully to see how it could best be used.

Another special aspect of working life in Ottadalen was the seasonal absence of workers to go hunting. Stokke's Office Manager in 1958, Paul Gerh. Røsvik, says that Georg Stokke got a surprise when he first visited Vågå Bruk during the hunting season. Many male employees had taken time off to join in the reindeer hunt which had traditionally been very important for the economy of the area. Gradually the furniture industry probably contributed more both to the public and private economies, but the custom of going hunting when the heather started to turn red in the autumn, always took precedence.

Wide variety

The furniture manufactured by Vågå Bruk had many customers both at home and abroad. The company's furniture was sold via Farstrup in Denmark and also through retailers in both in Sweden and the US. From 1969 onwards it was sold in Sweden via Stokke AB which was established in Tranås. Previously Westnofa Ltd. had been responsible for the sale and marketing of Stokke's pine collection abroad, but Stokke was not satisfied with the results. This was one of the reasons why Stokke was established in Sweden. Here the company developed a division which stood on its own feet and which was regarded in Sweden as being Swedish, a perception which undoubtedly facilitated sales.

Exports contributed towards boosting production at Vågå Bruk and it soon became clear that more space was needed. Stokke had taken over the 1,000 squere meter premises built by the municipality, and with assistance from the municipality and the DU, Stokke built three new production facilities prior to 1976.38 Gradually the company became a major industrial employer in the municipality. By 1967 there were already 30 jobs at Vågå Bruk.39 Five years later this number had increased to 35, and then to 45 in 1982.40

Vågå Bruk was not the only manufacturer of pine furniture in Norway. The most well-established and well-known pine furniture manufacturer was Krogenæs Møbler. Vågå Bruk did not want to challenge Krogenæs' position as a market leader in the production of traditional Norwegian rustic furniture. Kåre Stokke says that they had a good relationship with the owner of Krogenæs, Ragnvald Krogenæs, precisely because they did not regard Vågå Bruk as a competitor. The Stokke-owned company had a more modern, industrial line. Vågå Bruk focused on making niche products for living rooms with open fireplace in ordinary homes, rather than products for the holiday cottage market.

Vågå Bruk's product range was gradually extended. It started with sofas, chairs and coffee tables. As early as 1967 its range was expanded to also include butterfly tables, corner cabinets, dining tables, dining chairs and dressers.41

Even though Vågå Bruk had built up an efficient production plant, it proved to be difficult to achieve profitability for the company.

Vågå dining room suite, launched in 1969. Vågå Møbler reached a wide public with its simple, robust pine furniture. Vågå Bruk focused on both furniture for the holiday cottage and ordinary home, especially furniture for recreation rooms. Here is a classical bed settee solution manufactured by Vågå Bruk.

One problem was that the company had a large number of models which requires considerable reorganisation of machinery and caused low production output. Another challenge was the growing number of competitors in the pine furniture market. However, Kåre Stokke believes that high expenses was one of the most important reasons why Vågå failed to achieve good financial results. During the course of just a few years, Vågå Bruk had become the owner of a large production plant and the cost of this investment proved to be a permanent burden for the company.

Paul Gerhard Røsvik started a second period of employment with Stokke in 1972. After he left Stokke in 1963, he was employed as a corporate consultant by the National Institute of Technology (STI) and had also worked for Westnofa Industrier in Åndalsnes, which underwent a demanding period of reorganisation during the early 1970s. He therefore returned to Stokke in 1972 with the necessary expertise for his particular responsibilities of following up Stokke's subsidiaries. He says that at first he often used to visit the pine furniture company at Vågå. He usually travelled with Kåre Stokke so that they could jointly review key problem areas with local managers at the factory. During his time at the STI, Røsvik had participated in the systematic revision of companies that were experiencing difficulties. Key factors were identified which could provide important information about a company's development. These were important tools for helping to bring developments back on track. As far as Vågå was concerned, Røsvik remembers that some of the key indicators were liquidity, profitability and the personnel situation. During their monthly visits to Vågå Bruk, Røsvik and Kåre Stokke received reports on key indicators and the parties involved, and then discussed what needed to be done to improve the situation.

However, decisions do not always make for industrial success. In spite of good intentions and increasingly good financial management tools, Vågå Bruk produced few satisfactory annual reports. The Stokke family nevertheless proved to be patient owners and did not let the municipality and the employees down at the first sign of trouble. The pine market remained lucrative for a long time, but as is so often the case, demand always generates an increase in suppliers. And they did not come from Norway alone. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was the Danish manufacturers who were most successful in this sector of the Norwegian market. From the Norwegian point of view, the Danes worked their way into the market by compromising on quality. This, combined with more standardised and longer production ranges, provided them with a price advantage. Even though Vågå Bruk had good products, they failed to achieve adequate sales, which resulted in low profitability. Operations nevertheless continued and the company remained a positive joint venture partner for the municipality of Vågå for many years to come.

Another municipality, Rauma, also benefited favourably from the entrepreneurial spirit displayed by the first two generations of the Stokke furniture company.

Westnofa Industrier – from shell chairs to mattresses

Future-oriented plastic

The member companies of the Westnofa export organisation kept a watchful eye on what was happening in the international furniture industry, including technological developments. Around 1950, foam rubber mats started to take over from coil springs, curled horsehair and alfalfa in furniture upholstery. In 1953 Lauritz Sunde in Spjelkavik launched the world's first chair with foam plastic upholstery. In 1959 the trade magazine Plastnytt recommended that furniture manufacturers should replace wooden frames with plastic ones. It was pointed out that plastic was just one third of the weight of ordinary woodwork and five times as strong.42 Towards the end of the 1960s, Italian producers were the first to start experimenting by moulding foam plastic onto frames so that manufacturers could avoid having to undertake assembly and make costly adjustments to foam plastic. Several parties in the furniture industry expected that hard and soft plastic furniture materials would take over from wood in the future, both because they could be rationally produced and because they were popular on the fashion front during in the 1960s. Plastic moulding technology also enabled labour-saving and cost-effective production, which meant that it was welcomed by everyone who supported reorganisation and further industrialisation of the furniture industry at the end of the 1950s.

Stokke was also willing to experiment. In 1968 the company presented the first reclining chair in transparent acrylic glass with Dacron cushions. This model was designed by Asbjørn Synnes, a newly-qualified designer from the College of Arts and Crafts in Bergen.43

Westnofa Industrier was established in Åndalsnes in 1969. The main reason for its establishment was that the joint venture partners in the Westnofa Ltd. sales organisation were calling for affordable and reliable deliveries of foam plastic products. Here is the new factory building at Øran Øst in 1971. Photo: Sødahl.

The Polarstar chair was a shell chair in polyurethane hard foam manufactured by Westnofa Industrier. Around 1970 many people thought that plastic would replace wood as the main material in the furniture industry, but plastic shell chairs failed to become popular with the public.

Production of foam plastic blocks at Westnofa Industrier. Foam plastic was used in both mattress and furniture production.

Helpful municipality

The Westnofa partners also wanted to be included in this, and they did not hesitate to ask when Georg and Kåre Stokke mentioned establishing a foam plastics factory in Åndalsnes. The plan was that the company would not only supply member companies with the foam plastic components that they needed, but would also manufacture its own products which could benefit from the market for furniture made from hard foam plastic and other plastic materials. The company presented its plans in a press release in early 1968: “Westnofa Industrier is planning to produce plastics – both as semi-finished products for the furniture and construction industries, and as shell components and finished products for plastic furniture concepts.”44

Westnofa Industrier AS was established as a company in the autumn of 1967, originally with six owners. After Blindheim Møbelfabrikk joined Westnofa Ltd. at the end of 1968, the number of shareholders was increased to seven.

One explanation about why the foam plastics factory was established in Åndalsnes is almost anecdotal in nature: Georg and Kåre Stokke used to make frequent trips to Vågå to visit Vågå Bruk. On one of these trips between Ålesund and Vågå they talked about how practical it would be if they had a factory in Åndalsnes so that they could drop in for a break and have a cup of coffee on their trips.45

This amusing explanation probably does not tell the whole truth. One important reason why Åndalsnes was chosen as a location for this plant was its function as a communications hub. Åndalsnes was the final stop for the Rauma railway and the only town in Møre and Romsdal connected to the country's railway network. In addition, the municipality, as in Vågå, was very helpful with preparations, both with regard to industrial sites and in connection with construction of the production plant. The municipality of Rauma became a shareholder in Rauma Industribygg along with the member companies of Westnofa Ltd., which also belonged to Westnofa Industrier AS. The municipality was very interested in contributing to the establishment of stable and future-oriented jobs. This because many jobs had been lost there over the last few years following the demise of its ready-made clothing industry. The municipality had great faith that this measure would be permanent, provided that the owners were willing to invest heavily in plant and production machinery. And last, but not least, the choice of location was influenced by the fact that the municipality of Åndalsnes and Rauma, despite its strategic location, was an area where the government agency, the Regional Development Fund, was offering fair funding schemes. Kåre Stokke remembers that the municipal executives were very pleased when they head about his plans: “We would be the municipal executive's golden boys if we set up operations in Rauma. He was a little shocked when he heard that we would need an 8-acre plot, but certainly not knocked over.”46

Equal shareholders

The Board of the new company wanted the export organisation and foam plastics factory to have joint top management. The Managing Director of Westnofa Ltd., Paul Brautaset, therefore also became the Managing Director of Westnofa Industrier AS. However, he continued to have his base in the administration and sales office in Ørsta. Right from the start all Westnofa Industrier's sales were managed from Ørsta. The company had previously only been involved in export work, but the Board of Westnofa Industrier AS also wanted Westnofa Ltd. to build up a sales apparatus for the domestic market.

It soon became apparent that there was a certain amount of disagreement regarding this choice. In a letter to the Board, Kåre Stokke recommended that Westnofa Ltd. should stick to what the organisation did best, i.e. export work, and that the company in Åndalsnes should build up its own sales organisation. Stokke was of the opinion that this arrangement would be the most logical one and offer the best overview.47 Stokke's evaluation was probably also strengthened by the belief that new impulses gained through direct market contact provide inspiration to the work of product development. At first, Kåre Stokke did not receive the support of the Board for his views.48

Knut Dønsett was employed to take responsibility for the daily management of the factory in Åndalsnes. He was a qualified and experienced machine engineer. His first task was to visit other companies in Europe which had already started producing foam plastics. He also supervised the construction of the plant at Øran Øst, a factory which was to have a floor area of 5,200 square meters, including cloakrooms and an administration building.49 Before construction was able to commence, the area – a swamp containing brackish water near the mouth of the Rauma river – had to be drained and dried out.

Construction was scheduled for completion by the summer of 1968, but the project was far more complicated and extensive than originally thought.50 Much of the production technology was new and other companies working on similar projects had had varying experiences, so it was far more difficult to make final choices about purchasing machinery and adapting production processes than the owners had anticipated.51 Because of this, the first expenditure calculations were exceeded. The Regional Development Fund, which was to issue loans to cover building and operations costs,

called for an increase in share capital, causing the owners to react. Several were of the opinion that they had already incurred heavy costs for a project which carried a considerable element of risk.52 One of the problems connected to the share capital expansion was that the owners had wanted equality among the shareholders, something which was thought to be the best way to achieve cooperation on the project.

Some of the shareholders proved to be less able and willing to pay than others. Nevertheless, in the autumn of 1969 an equal capital increase was successfully accomplished.53 This share capital increase, however, caused difficulties since it became necessary to request further share capital increases in 1971 due to tight liquidity and difficulties in making payments.

While production planning was in progress, work was also being done on the production of chair models which Westnofa Industrier could present to the market. In March 1968 the shareholders were asked to submit suggestions for models in hard polyurethane plastic.54 In spite of good intentions about participating in the testing of new materials for furniture production, there was a lack of practical follow-up. The only suggestion, submitted by Møre Lenestolfabrikk, was for a shell chair. This chair, “Inter”, designed by Liv Tjønneland, was never a success on the market.

Moulding foam plastic

Production commenced in the company's large, spacious factory at the end of 1969/beginning of 1970. It had 30 employees up until October in the first year of operations. This was fewer than the number contained in the plans, which had called for 70 employees by the summer of 1970. Most of the products manufactured during the first year of operations related to subcontracted foam items for the furniture industry. The company had also just started producing foam mattresses, an area that looked promising.55

A key person in the future development of Westnofa was Terje Klauseth. He was a qualified plastics engineer from Germany and had started working for the company during the summer of 1970. He says that it took a while before the company began to stand on its own two feet in the areas of production processes and expertise: “In order to get going they initially obtained foam plastic from Austria. This foam plastic was cut in local ready-made clothing factories. Just before I came to the company in 1970 they had made their first foam block. Tor Tøsse was responsible for the first mouldings. He had experience with similar production abroad and was a foam plastics pioneer in Norway.”56 Right from the time Westnofa Industrier was established, Stokke was determined to take advantage of which foam plastics and moulding technology offered by developing a cutting-edge technical facility. In 1971 Stokke launched three models which were all based on moulded foam plastics produced by Westnofa: the Polar Star and Rio Star reclining chairs, and the Orient sofa. The Rio Star group was described as follows: “Rio Star is moulded in polyurethane, which guarantees quality and durability. The back and seat cushions are moulded in the best Weflex quality.” Polar Star was moulded in hard foam.57 About the Orient sofa group it was said, “The suite consists of a chair and a 2-seater sofa and is upholstered with hypermodern, cold-hardened polyurethane foam produced by Westnofa Industrier. Cold-hardened polyurethane foam is moulded. It has excellent usage possibilities and also provides accurate and precise upholstering.”58

Westnofa was one of the first companies in Norway to successfully mould foam plastic, not least thanks to Stokke which was prepared to fund the development work and give the company products which it could gain experience with.

End of management by Ørsta

It soon became clear that the owner companies disagreed about how the company in Åndalsnes should be organised. The Director of Westnofa Ltd., Paul Brautaset, had the support of the Board right from the start about the Åndalsnes establishment serving as a link in the work of developing Westnofa into a group. Brautaset elaborated on this ambition in a memorandum written in 1971: “Such spin-offs are also completely in line both with what our group's individual shareholder companies have carried out, and with inter-company tendencies towards specialisation and integration which have recently proved necessary, to allow them to make their mark and grow in the face of increasing competition.”59 Westnofa Industrier certainly obtained the help that it needed from Westnofa Ltd. during its establishment phase. Funds from the export organisation enabled foam plastics production to survive a period of major investment and low income.60

Brautaset had a vision that Westnofa Ltd. would draw up a joint marketing plan for the Norwegian market for Westnofa's member companies. He justified this with his wish to fully exploit the exhibition and office premises at the Sunnmøre centre that Westnofa had bought into in 1968. He also thought that it would strengthen the marketing of Westnofa Industrier's products on the Norwegian market. This clashed with the wishes of several of the big players at Westnofa. The Stokke management was particularly sceptical. Stokke did not believe that the export organisation at Ørsta was the right body to take over sales of the company's

Welun 007 (1971) was the first mattress to be made by Westnofa Industrier. It was designed to give optimum air flow. This prevented a common problem experienced with foam mattresses: clamminess.

The Orient lounge suite was one of the first Stokke models produced using foam plastic from Westnofa Industrier. This suite was developed in cooperation with Peter Opsvik, who was to become Stokke's most important external designer during the forthcoming years.

products on the domestic market. Stokke Fabrikker, together with P.I. Langlo at Stranda, was the one company that most closely supervised developments in Åndalsnes. It gradually emerged that some members of the local management were dissatisfied about how remote control from Ørsta worked and they asked for all administration and sales functions to be transferred to the factory at Åndalsnes. This was also the result of the Board's discussion on the matter at a meeting at Sykkylven on 5 October 1971.

Stokke takes control

Westnofa Industrier had an uphill struggle for the first couple of years. The number of orders was unsatisfactory. One of the reasons for this was that not all the co-owners obtained deliveries of foam products from their own companies, as had been assumed. Instead they remained with their former suppliers.61 Odd Slettaøyen was one of the first employees at Westnofa. He was only just 20 when he started working as Office Manager on 1 December 1969. In retrospect he realises that one of the most important prerequisites for establishment, namely that the owners should purchase foam plastic parts from the company, failed to materialise. And if they made purchases they demanded such cheap deliveries that production ran at a loss. The reasoning seemed to be that if there was to be any point in owning and using a subcontractor, then the latter's deliveries should be cheaper than the alternatives.62

High establishment costs, expensive raw materials and low turnover led to poor profitability and once again there was a need to expand the company's share capital. In 1971 it was still hoped that the parties in the co-ownership could be equal in the operational company, but not everybody was interested in continuing to be involved in foam plastic production. Therefore, Stokke Fabrikker offered to be solely responsible for the whole share increase. Kåre Stokke says that he, his father and the rest of the Stokke management had frequent conversations about what could and should happen as regards Westnofa. They were afraid that one of their competitors would take over the foam plastics manufacturer if they were not successful in achieving the necessary capital increase. Sandella, Porolon and Askim Gummivarefabrikk were all potential acquirers. Georg Stokke was eager for Stokke to become more deeply involved in Westnofa. He had had previously experiences with joint ownership and over the years he had become more certain that industrial companies of this size were better equipped for growth with just one owner. In 1971 the Stokke management persuaded the Regional Development Fund to agree with this view. At the beginning of 1972 Stokke Fabrikker had a share capital amounting to NOK 510,000 in Westnofa Industrier, while the other companies had NOK 50,000 each.63 Georg Stokke took over the position as Chairman of the Board of the company. From the minutes of a Board meeting in January 1972 it appears that it was Georg Stokke who was the new prime mover and strategist. At a meeting that month he announced that he was working on setting up a new sales network with agents who were paid on a commission basis. Georg was also working on finding a Commercial Manager who would also act as the company's Sales Manager. It was also decided the production of finished shell chairs should be discontinued. Thereafter, production would be fully focused on sub-supplies of soft foam plastics.64

In March 1972 Georg Stokke informed the newspaper Sunnmørsposten that the company had become a proactive company which was just as much a test and research centre as a production plant. He mentioned that the company had a mechanical workshop where most of the company's machinery was developed.65 The key person involved in Westnofa's research and development activities was Terje Klauseth. He says that for the first ten years there was continuous product development. He praises the new owner, Stokke, who gave Westnofa the time and resources to establish a product base which had the potential of becoming profitable in the long term. “Unlike many industrial owners, Georg did not have the same short-term focus on earnings. He was not keen on piling up money, but was more intent on creating new activities. And he had faith in this activity. He also had a well-developed competitive instinct. It was probably a goal for him to show that he could do as well as his neighbour in Ålesund: Porolon and the Sunde family.”66

In 1972, Paul Røsvik returned to Stokke after having worked for the National Institute of Technology (STI) as a company adviser for some years. His final assignment at the STI involved carrying out reorganisation work at Westnofa, and that was to be his first assignment for Stokke when he returned to the company. Røsvik was given the title of Finance Director in the Stokke group with special responsibility for following up the group's subsidiaries. Georg Stokke and Paul Røsvik took many trips to Åndalsnes where they conscientiously mapped the company's strengths and weaknesses, and took action when they saw clear potential for improvement. The development of a better sales network was prioritised. Paul Røsvik was also asked if he would be interested in taking over as Managing Director in Åndalsnes, but he turned the offer down.67

Westnofa was a European pioneer in moulding high-elasticity cold foam blocks. Terje Klauseth reports that the first mould was made in 1973. Westnofa's main customers were still the furniture and chassis industries.68

Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk – subcontractor

The latter part of the 1960s was the most expansive period for the Stokke family. Up until 1969, Georg and Kåre Stokke had been involved in pine furniture manufacturing plastics production, an assembly and sales division in Sweden, and a woodworking producer in Tennfjorden.

The acquisition of Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk can hardly be said to be part of a long-term development strategy for the Stokke furniture company. It was the young bank director, Olav Balsnes, at Privatbanken AS, who in 1969 contacted Kåre Stokke to hear if he was interested in a joint venture or possible take-over of the company. Tennfjord's management strengths were in the field of production technology. The owner, Ole Bolle, was widely known for his technical interests and insight. Amongst other things, he had been awarded a prize at an inventors' exhibition in Vienna for an assembly fitting for upholstered furniture which he had developed. The bank was of the opinion that a connection between Tennfjord and Stokke could be favourable.

At the time Stokke was experiencing problems with limited capacity at its carpentry workshop. Meetings with Ole Bolle were held in Tennfjord and Stokke agreed to purchase majority shares in the company. Stokke took over 70 % of the shares, while Bolle retained 30 %. Stokke thus gained control over a company which since 1940 had specialised in subcontracting woodwork to the furniture industry. Prior to the purchase, Tennfjord had been one of Stokke Fabrikker's main subcontractors and had also had its own collection of exclusive dining chairs.69 In 1969 Kåre Stokke announced that Stokke had no plans to change the operational concept of Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk, but it did not take long before subcontractor production started to dominate. In an article in Sunnmørsposten in February 1972, carpenter Karl Fagerlid was photographed next to a large stack of frames for the Kubus contract chair, one of Stokke's most important products at the beginning of the 1970s. The Managing Director, Ole Bolle, gave the newspaper the impression that he was satisfied with being a subcontractor. “We have enough work as it is. If we were to start production on our own, it would require a lot of extra work in many areas, and it is not certain that the gain would be proportionate to the effort.”70

Basically Tennfjord was also able to deliver its services to other furniture companies, but it did not take long before Stokke needed most of the company's production capacity. This also happened after Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk reorganised its production operations, switching over from producing solid wood components to becoming a laminate specialist. This took place after 1974. Stokke's laminate supplier, Hove Møbler in Stordal, had a fire in 1972. In order to also gain control over these sub-deliveries, Stokke purchased laminating equipment from a company in Austefjorden. In the autumn of 1973, construction started on a 400 square meter building to make space for a complete laminating department.71 It was the start of a development whereby the Tennfjord factory became a national leader in the field of laminating in the course of just a few years.

Stokke Fabrikker took over Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk in the municipality of Haram in 1969. The company was initially a woodwork subcontractor for Stokke Fabrikker.

An additional building was constructed at Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk in 1977.

From 1974 Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk quickly developed to become one of the country's leading producers of laminated woodwork. Here plywood sheets are being fed through the bonding roll before being placed together and put in the press in the background. Photo from 1975.

The Inka series added a new design dimension to Stokke's range of reclining chairs. Peter Opsvik designed the Inka chair and the other units in this series, which were well received on the international market when they were first launched in 1967 under the name of Oase. With Minimax (1970), Stokke addressed a growing health problem among children and young people: postural faults and back problems. Designer Peter Opsvik was interested in ergonomics and wanted furniture which took into account the fact that children are different and are undergoing dynamic development. With Stokke's Minimax and Blindheim's Ergolett sectional furniture, designed by Jon Texmon, the market gained furniture which could grow with children.

Stokke Fabrikker takes a leap

Tripp Trapp – a chair to grow in

Around 1970, Stokke Fabrikker and Blindheim Møbelfabrikk were almost total suppliers of furniture through the Blisto group. Blindheim was responsible for board furniture such as shelves, wall sections, desks and tables, while Stokke specialised in upholstered furniture such as a variety of lounge suites and chairs.

Møbelavisa, a joint magazine issued by Blindheim and Stokke in order to present the companies and their collections to the retailer network, described three new Stokke products/product groups in its second edition in 1971, another member in the Star series, the Rio Star, the Orient lounge suite and the INKA furniture range consisting of five units, which included a high-backed chair, a stool, a low chair, a square table with a glass top and a side table with a glass top. In addition to these pieces of furniture, Stokke's collection at that time consisted of several reclining chair models in the Star series, lounge suites, armchairs and other chairs for the contract market, including the Kubus and Kro chairs.

The most interesting thing about the new creations in the INKA series and the Orient lounge suit (1971) was not their design or the fact that Stokke had staked out a new course which could make the company's product profile clearer, but the fact that its products were developed in cooperation with the recently qualified designer Peter Opsvik from Stranda. The INKA series, marketed under the name of Oase on the export market, was launched for the first time by Stokke in 1967. It was a successful attempt at combining good design, top product quality and functionality in a reclining chair. The design of the Orient lounge suite was less flexible, but interesting because of the user manual that accompanied it. This stated that the design of the seat cushions provided excellent support for the thighs, and that the divided back was designed to comfortably support both the lumbar region and side of the body.72

This heralded an approach to product design which had not previously been much emphasised in Norwegian furniture production and in the marketing of products: the ergonomic effects and the effects of sitting on the human body. Up until then product developments in the domestic furniture industry had focused mainly on production and style. Stokke's tilting chairs were some of the relatively few exceptions, since they had both the movement

Tripp Trapp was a gift to all the children in the world. Previously, children from the age of 2 to 10 had been relegated to sitting at an adults' table with their legs dangling in the air and their chin just reaching up to the edge of the table. Now they had a chair that they could grow with and which ensured that their feet, bottom and back acquired the support necessary for participating in activities at the table on an equal footing. Kåre Stokke was one of the few people at Stokke Fabrikker who quickly saw the potential of the Tripp Trapp chair. Peter Opsvik had already made many good contributions to the company, including Minimax, but it was quickly proved that Tripp Trapp exceeded everything else that Stokke had produced.

function and a good ergonomic design. According to Peter Opsvik, this focus on production and style not only dominated the furniture industry, but also design education.73 Ever since his student days he had been interested in the functional content of a product and he had gained greater insight into the ergonomics of furniture design during a study trip to Essen in Germany in 1970. While there he was introduced to the theories of Ulrich Burandt who was one of the founders of the school of ergonomic design. Like Henrik Seyffarth and A.C. Mandal, Burandt had studied people sitting in different positions and discovered that the pressure exerted on the lumbar region was reduced when the front of the seat was tilted slightly downwards. A few years passed before Opsvik applied this principle to his own designs, but after his study trip to Essen he had a new and stronger awareness about ergonomics which affected his daily work as a designer. Without doubt this contributed to the process that resulted in the Tripp Trapp chair for children.

Peter Opsvik's oldest child was two years old in 1972, and had grown out of using a high chair. Opsvik discovered that there were no products on the market which allowed a child to sit comfortably at table height. This became a challenge which he was determined to meet. He started experimenting with a model which was adjustable and which could enable children of different sizes to sit at the right height in relation to the top of the table. He had worked on the same problem previously. On the 1970 MiniMax model it was possible to adjust the functional measurements of the seat height to accommodate children from the age of 6 or 7 until they were adults. In contrast to Tripp Trapp, the child sat with his/her feet placed on the floor. This chair therefore had to be accompanied by a height-adjustable table. MiniMax took the product collaboration between Stokke and Blindheim one step further: a few years earlier the Ola desk and the Kro chair had been launched as furniture for the younger generation. By focusing on the value of ergonomic furniture adjusted to suit the body, Stokke's MiniMax and Blindheim's Ergolett sectional furniture provided a far more dynamic combination. Ergolett sectional furniture had a writing board which could be adjusted to the same proportions as the seat and back on MiniMax.74 Ergolett was described as being a piece of furniture which grew with the child.75

The new thing about Tripp Trapp compared to MiniMax was that children of varying ages could be lifted up to the height of an adults' table with the aid of adjustable seats and footrests. This was based on the designer's observation that the height of the elbow and the part of the back needing support were the same. The back support could then be fixed at elbow/table height before adjusting the level of the seat and feet. The footrest allowed the child control of his or her movements and far greater freedom for development than it had had before. This became the chair that grew with the child and which allowed the child to participate on an equal footing with the adults when engaging in activities around the table.

In 1973 Tripp Trapp was nominated as the furniture item of the year by the interior magazine Nye Bonytt. Many of Stokke's people, including agents and retailers, were sceptical when they were introduced to this children's chair, which was different to anything else that had been produced up to that point. But gradually, as positive feedback flooded in from users and experts, they realised that this could also be a commercially interesting product for both the company and its retailers.

“When a child sits comfortably and can pull itself up in a chair, he's willing to stay at the table longer,” observed Peter Opsvik, who was a father of small children.

Tripp Trapp on television

When Opsvik was seeking a manufacturer for the chair, it was natural for him to turn to Stokke Fabrikker, with whom he had been collaborating since 1967. Stokke had already made its mark as a manufacturer that was open to new ideas and to designers with talent and motivation, such as Peter Opsvik. In Møbelavisa No. 2 1971, the Editor had included an aphorism which illustrated this point: “He who walks in the footsteps of others never gets ahead.” And Stokke certainly had ambitions of getting ahead. When the concept was first presented to him in 1972, Kåre Stokke could not know that Tripp Trapp would become the product which would help to put the company in such a position. But he quickly saw the potential of the chair. He had four children himself and liked the idea of bringing the children up to the height of adults to strengthen the feeling of companionship around the table.

Others in the company were far more sceptical, including the company founder himself, Georg Stokke. This was not how he envisioned furniture to be. He doubted whether the market would be receptive to a product which deviated so much from the norm. Stokke's agent for Sørlandet and Stavanger, Kjell Stokka remembers that the sales personnel were also lukewarm. Even though he was initially negative about the product, he thought that if the company wanted its agents to present it to the retailers then he could always try.76 Malvin Vegsund thought the same way. He was appointed as the Sales Manager at Stokke in 1971 after Audun Bondevik took over as the Managing Director of Blindheim Møbelfabrikk. He was present at the meeting when Opsvik presented the children's chair to Stokke for the first time. His own scepticism did not affect Kåre Stokke: “I was as sceptical about Tripp Trapp as most people, but Kåre Stokke was positive. He has always been open to new ideas. He had a broad horizon and was not afraid to try new ways.”

Tripp Trapp was presented for the first time to the general public at the Sjølyst Exhibition in the autumn of 1972. Stokke's representatives on the stand were very anxious about the response. Stokke had equipped the stand with some Tripp Trapp chairs to show that the company had faith in the product and that it was something special that no one else had.

The public's interest was extensive and journalists reported on the new creation, but sales were moderate. Per Natvig, Stokke's sales agent in eastern Norway from 1971, remembers that three chairs were sold during the whole of the exhibition; two to A-Møbler in Oslo and one to Husfliden, who thought that the use of the woodwork in the chair was exemplary.

One of the journalists who displayed interest in Tripp Trapp was Lasse Thorset, who for a number of years had worked as a programme creator for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) with consumer materials as his speciality. Around 1971 he suffered from a series of strain injuries caused by his sitting and working positions. When Tripp Trapp was launched, Thorset realised that there could be a connection. He contacted Kåre Stokke and Peter Opsvik who were keen for the chair to be featured on television. At that time, NRK television had a monopoly and showing the chair in a TV programme would be an excellent advertisement. Lasse Thorset says: “No one knew the chair at that time. To show what it was like to be a child in a normal chair, we made a huge chair and table. An adult was seated in the chair with his legs dangling in the air in order to illustrate what it is like for a child and how difficult it is to sit in a normal chair [...] The feature was not long, but I believe that it gave a much needed injection (to Stokke) at an early stage. There was a huge response and NRK's switchboard was inundated with calls.”77

Sales Manager Malvin Vegsund remembers the decisive effect the television programme had in spreading the news about the Tripp Trapp chair. He himself had seen the TV feature in a hotel room, and when he visited the shops the next day, he realised that people had suddenly understood the concept behind the chair: “The mood was about to turn. Faith in the product was beginning to dawn. [...] Tripp Trapp had media charm and was marketed as aggressively as funds allowed. The media praised it, and Kåre Stokke was good at exploiting these opportunities.”

In 1973, Tripp Trapp was nominated as the Chair of the Year by the readers of the interior magazine Nye Bonytt. This nomination resulted in the first article about Tripp Trapp to appear in Stokke/ Blindheim's own information newspaper in the autumn of 1973. It helped to boost in-house belief that external furniture experts valued it highly.

“Striking a blow for Norwegian backs”

When the product benefits of the Tripp Trapp chair were first communicated to the market, it turned out there was a huge requirement for such a children's chair. Children's chairs had been produced before, including a high chair which could be made into a trolley when not in use at the table. This chair, however, had its limitations. Children grew out of it relatively quickly, and it was not as steady as the Tripp Trapp chair. Stokke was helped by the media

Stokke and Blindheim Møbelfabrikk built up a strong team in their product development division where new product ideas were tested out and adapted to the company's production lines. Here is the team gathered round one of Stokke's reclining chairs. From the left: John Ramstad, Hans Veibust, Jarl Heggem, Arnt Lande, Odd Tenold and Terje Holmøy.

Turid and Kåre Stokke and two of their children were leading figures in a marketing campaign for Tripp Trapp in 1974. The message in the campaign was that Stokke strikes a blow for Norwegian backs. Tripp Trapp was initially launched as a children's chair, but Turid and Kåre showed that the chair could well be used by adults as well.

and health experts in spreading knowledge about the benefits of Tripp Trapp. Doktor Henrik Seyffarth was an authority in Norway concerning matters of ergonomics and bodily afflictions caused by a modern, sedentary lifestyle. In 1973 he took part in a television programme on this subject where both the Tripp Trapp chair and MiniMax were shown as ergonomically correct items of children's furniture. Seyffarth said repeatedly that it was more important for public health to have proper chairs for children at the dining table and at school than it was to build even more gymnastics halls.78 During the winter of 1974 Møbelavisa reported that the demand for Tripp Trapp had increased so rapidly that it was difficult for the production apparatus to keep up: “The factory has continuous series production of both MiniMax and Tripp Trapp. The demand is far greater than the factory can meet, especially as regards the latter. This is due not least to the fact that the chairs are also selling on the international market where there is very little competition.”79

The first Tripp Trapp series was produced in Norway, but gradually as volumes increased, the management realised that it would be more financially viable to undertake production abroad. In 1973, Kåre Stokke visited furniture exhibitions in Eastern Europe, and there he was introduced to the producer Slovenjales, which was a state company in Yugoslavia. It stood out as having high quality in its deliveries even though the technological level of the company was primitive at the time. Stokke embarked on a joint venture with the company, and in the 1990s it managed to separate and privatise a production division under the name of Stolik, which it supplied with equipment and special machines that were transported from Norway to Yugoslavia. From very moderate sales in 1972 and 1973, the turnover derived from Tripp Trapp chairs rocketed, with over 10,000 chairs being sold in 1974. By 1976 this figure had increased to 25,000. Tripp Trapp was about to acquire the status of the no. 1 profit maker for Stokke.

Numerous feature articles appearing in the trade press and interior design magazines removed all doubts in the Blisto group and at Stokke, although the Tripp Trapp chair was a product for the future. In 1974 Blisto carried out one of its largest marketing campaigns thus far. In its no. 2 edition in 1974 Møbelavisa reported that it was the Managing Director of A-Møbler in Oslo, Bjørn Riegel, who took the initiative for the campaign. Large advertisements in the national press featuring Kåre Stokke's family marketed the Tripp Trapp chair as an ergonomically correct item of furniture for the whole family under the slogan: “We're striking a blow for Norwegian backs”. The results of the campaign were excellent and it was repeated once more during the same year.

Continued extensive product range

Stokke now had two product groups that were going well: children's chairs and reclining chairs. One natural consequence of

this might have been for the company to opt for specialisation of the product groups mentioned and to cultivate a chair profile with the supporting values of ergonomics and welfare as identity markers. Paul Gerhard Røsvik leaned in this direction in an article about how to improve results, which he published in Møbelavisa. Røsvik thought that one main way of increasing income would be to find out which areas were profitable and which were not. His second point was to further develop the company's most interesting products and prioritise them.80

However, in 1974 it was too early to stop producing other model groups in favour of concentrating fully on Tripp Trapp and possibly MiniMax. It was still difficult to know how permanent the interest in these two types of furniture would be. Was the interest in ergonomic children's products just a passing fashion? Would this interest wane when the media no longer found the products to be newsworthy? Would the market gradually become saturated? Many people perceived Tripp Trapp as a relatively expensive product, and it was uncertain how much of the market the chair would capture.

There were also other factors which determined that specialisation at that time was not the real alternative that it was to become ten years later. In 1974–75 Stokke participated in sales collaboration with another company, Blindheim Møbelfabrikk, and this collaboration also governed the choice of models for the two factories. It was still an ambition for the Blisto companies to have as complete a furniture range as possible. Blindheim had its tables, shelf systems and sections. Stokke made suites which complemented the sections, and this is how the companies were still presented in advertisements and brochures which were sent round the country. One example of a model series which incorporated both shelf sections and lounge suites was the Limbo series. The first item in this series was the Limbo wall section, which was then complemented by other items from Blisto's product development group so that together the various components gave an unified and balanced impression, as described by the joint venture group's own presentation.81 The Classic series, which came three years later, bore the same characteristics. The marketing information stated that this furniture was so complete that it was impossible to make any furnishing mistakes.82

The factory was otherwise developed and adapted to accommodate versatile production in relationship to technical devices, buildings and employees. Making production changes on the basis of the income trends of a limited period was no real alternative in the middle of the 1970s.

Peter Opsvik, the company's ergonomic-minded designer, also adapted to these realities. He had participated in the development of a couple of lounge suite models.83 Compared to the Star series, he had previously made an exciting and somewhat different contribution to the reclining chair collection with INKA/Oase. In 1973 he presented Stokke with a new reclining chair, the Gazelle. Stokke's reclining chair was challenged by strong competition from Ekornes's adjustable recliner, Stressless, which was launched in

Gazelle reclining chair with footrest, 1973. From the end of the 1960s, Peter Opsvik contributed several new models to Stokke's collection. His interest in ergonomics was a motivating factor in everything he did as a furniture designer at that time.

Stokke Fabrikker had a competent and stable workforce. In 1971, nine of the company's employees received Norges Vel's medal for long and faithful service: (number of years of service with the company in brackets). From the left: Knut Myren (32), Jetmund Sjåstad (35), Bjarne Rødseth (34), Daniel Myren (38), Arthur Møller (34), Ole Svendsli (30), Elisabeth Westad (35), Sverre Lande (30) and Tora Stokke (31) (Georg's sister).

Certain expectations were aroused about the Aristokrat armchair when it was launched in 1976. Møbelavia asked if this could this be a new major product from Stokke. At this time Stokke Fabrikker's collection was relatively differentiated, with the children's Tripp Trapp chair and Aristokrat at the outer extremes.

1971. Ekornes had met considerable scepticism about its first reclining chair, similar to that experienced by Stokke for its Tripp Trapp chair. It was compared to a dentist's chair and was initially met with lukewarm interest from consumers. But once again the media helped to market the chair, and in 1974 Stressless was accepted as a central reclining chair on the Norwegian market.

With reclining chairs such as Gazelle, Panter and Bolero, Stokke responded to Ekornes' challenge by introducing more designoriented values, although this was not entirely successful. Ekornes' reclining chair with variable adjustment continued to capture a steadily increasing share of the market share. Jens Petter Ekornes, the Marketing Manager of Ekornes at that time, was surprised that Stokke was so quickly forced on the defensive in the reclining chair segment: “Stokke had approximately 75 % of the market for reclining chairs when Stressless came in 1971. Stokke's problem, as I see it, was that their reclining chairs did not allow for adjustment of the angle between the seat and the back. Stressless had this function and the public soon noticed it.”84

The Panter, which was launched in 1974, the Bolero (1978) and a new version of the Swing Star (1977) also had variable adjustment. However, Ekornes, which was the first company to introduce this product improvement, received the best response from the market. Kåre Stokke explains the situation which arose in the reclining chair segment as follows: “Around 1970 we had spread ourselves across many areas of high-level activity. Had we known then what we now know about strategy development, we would have focused far more purpossefully on the reclining chair niche and strengthened our Product Development Division with this aim in mind. We could then have exploited our head start. Instead, it was Ekornes that led developments in reclining chairs.”

Arnt Lande, who was employed as a designer at Stokke in 1954, was still setting the tone towards the end of the 1970s in Blisto/ Stokke's product development group, which in 1975–76 consisted of six employees: John Ramstad, Hans Veibust, Jarl Heggem, Arnt Lande, Odd Arnstein Tenold and Terje Holmøy. Lande's designs were recognisable in several of the products which were launched in the 1970s, including the Aristokrat Høy armchair which the company had great expectations about when it was introduced in 1976. Møbelavisa predicted that this would become one of Stokke's main products in 1977. The chair was a conventional armchair/recliner with a high back aimed at customers with a high disposable income. The contrast to the small and functional children's Tripp Trapp chair was remarkable.

On the same page of Møbelavisa where Aristokrat was introduced, a new employee was welcomed to Stokke. Roar HaugeNilsen (27) had just been appointed as the company's Chief Accountant. The following year, two other new employees were introduced in the same newspaper: the Chief of Finance, Kjell Storeide, and the Plant Manager, Steinar Loe. Aristokraten and these three new young employees could be said to represent symbols of the old and new times at Stokke, which led to a completely new product profile during the 1980s and the cutting of old ties.

Expansion at Moa

The new Plant Manager, Steinar Loe, and the Chief of Finance, Paul Gerhard Røsvik, had both previously worked as advisers at the National Institute of Technology (STI). The fact that the STI was used as a recruitment channel for Stokke in the 1970s may have been coincidental and linked to individual people, but it was probably also one factor in a strategy which was intended to strengthen certain aspects which had initially been missing from the company. Steinar Loe's most important task from 1976 was supervision of the planning and building of a new plant at Moa. Loe was a civil engineer and had a good eye for functional factory layouts and technical solutions.

Stokke Fabrikker planned a very large extension in the middle of the 1970s at Spjelkavik. The new building was to have 7,500 square meters of new floor space. This step was motivated by the desire to bring as much production as possible under one roof, thus incorporating the production operations of Stokke's subsidiaries: Vågå Bruk, Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk and Westnofa Industrier.85 Some of the production at these plants was specialist production which would continue to be decentralised. But there were nevertheless some components that could effectively be produced in one place. In addition, Stokke's ordinary collection was to be continued, and in some areas there was high demand and hopes of volume growth in the years to come.

Steinar Loe possessed no extensive experience of equivalent projects when he started on this task, but he was well supported by Production Manager Arne Seljeflot and Paul Gerhard Røsvik. Some of the planning had to be based on forecasts. How would the various markets and production areas develop in future years? This was no exact science, but it was important for their gut feelings to be comparatively good during the early stages of the project.

Due to some uncertain aspects of the planning work it was difficult to prepare exact calculations for the building project. It also emerged that the cost estimates had been exceeded when the final bill was presented. The new plant had been calculated to cost NOK 12 million. The actual cost was NOK 15 million. However, on the other hand, Stokke had acquired one of the country's largest and most modern furniture factories. Project Engineer Loe and his colleagues, who had been through an intense 2-year building period, received considerable praise when the management showed the press and other invited guests around the new plant in April 1978. The new building was organised into five large production halls, thus achieving the objective of having most of the company's production operations on one floor. Stokke was one of the first Norwegian furniture producers to implement buildingrelated adjustment in order to maximise production flow. When the building was completed, Stokke Fabrikker probably had one of the most modern production plants in the country, like they had, when their first factory building was constructed on the same site in 1948. In 1977, all parts of the production process were organised to accommodate flexible adaptation and rapid flow. In the lacquering division, there were conveyor belts in the ceiling which carried components through the different stages of surface treatment. The journalist from Sunnmørsposten was particularly impressed by the environmentally friendly measures in the new building: “One of most impressive things is the excellent working environment in all departments. This is due to the advanced extraction system which removes absolutely all dust and emissions from the room. The air then passes through a filter and is re-used in an air conditioning system which ensures a temperature of 18–20 degrees celsius and an ideal humidity ratio.”86

The plant built by Stokke placed it right at the forefront of technological developments in the Norwegian industrial context. The Norwegian furniture industry also led the field in an international context, and this helps to explain why this industry survived the demanding period of readjustment during the 1960s when several Norwegian industries were forced to leave Norway because they were unable to keep production costs down. However, even though the production logistics were good, there were areas where there was room for improvement for Norwegian furniture companies in general, and for Stokke in particular.

Stokke Fabrikker after the extension in 1977. Georg had the foresight to carry out the first building phase on this site at Langelandgården. He could not predict the huge expansion which was to follow during the next few decades, but he probably suspected that extra space would come in handy.

Balans Variable, Design: Peter Opsvik, Concept: H.C. Mengshoel