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Company history
from Stokke - In movement
by skarpsinn
STOKKE
Company history
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■ Established in 1932 by Georg Stokke and Bjarne Møller as Møller and Stokke.
■ Stokke was one of the first Norwegian producers to use professional designers and they even hired their own architect in the early 1950s.
■ The company's name is changed to Stokke Fabrikker AS in 1956 when Georg Stokke buys out his partner.
■ Co-owner of the export organisation Westnofa Ltd. 1955.
■ The second generation, Kåre Stokke, takes over management and ownership in 1964, at the age of 27.
■ Vågå Bruk AS is established in 1965, with production commencing in early 1966.
■ Westnofa Industrier is established as a joint venture with 5 partners in 1968.
■ Stokke Fabrikker AS purchases 70 % of Tennfjord Møbelfabrikk AS from Ole Bolle in 1969, and the remainder is purchased during the 1980s.
■ Stokke AB – Sweden is established in 1969, the company's first independent export venture.
■ Tripp Trapp® is designed by Peter Opsvik – launched in 1972.
■ The Movement Collection is created with the Balans Variable in 1979.
■ 1986: Stokke Fabrikker AS focuses its operations on functional furniture for movement and variation.
■ 1987: Stokke GmbH is established in Lübeck, Germany, with Wolfgang Krüssmann as Manager.
■ 1989: Stokke purchases Vatne Møbler AS.
■ 1990: Kjell Storeide takes over as Group Manager and purchases 9 % of the shares in Stokke Industri AS (the holding company).
■ 1990: Joint venture with Matsuya Co. Ltd. Scandex is established in order to import and sell Stokke's furniture (and other Scandinavian design articles) in Japan.
■ During the 90s Stokke established a distribution network via fully-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries all over
Europe for the import and sale of Stokke's merchandise.
■ 1992–94: Stokke purchases Møremøbler AS, which is renamed Fora Form AS in 1997. Vatne is merged with Møremøbler
AS in 1994/95.
■ 1994: Vågå Bruk AS is sold to Talgø.
■ 1994: Stokke Industri AS is demerged into Moa Syd AS (the property at Moa) and Stokke Industri AS (the industry part).
■ 1996: Moa Syd changes its name to Stokke AS.
■ 1996: Stokke sells part of the shopping centre at Moa.
■ 1997: Third generation, Rune Stokke, 36, takes over as the main shareholder of Stokke Industri AS through his majority ownership stake in Single Holding AS.
■ 1998: Stokke Fabrikker is split in two collections; Children and Movement which are assigned independent strategies.
Stokke Industri AS changes its name to Stokke Gruppen AS.
■ 2000: Stokke enters the US market by establishing itself in Atlanta with its own subsidiary Stokke LLC, owned by Stokke
Amerika AS.
■ 2000: Stokke sells Westnofa Industrier AS (its industrial foam business) and simultaneously establishes Wonderland AS as a subsidiary of Stokke Gruppen AS. Stokke Fabrikker AS and Fora Form AS are merged with Stokke Gruppen AS and become the Children's and Movement divisions and Fora Form.
■ 2003: Fora Form moves into a new factory at Mosflatene at Ørsta.
■ 2004: Kjell Storeide leaves and is bought out by the company after 15 years as the leading executive of Stokke's companies. Kristine Landmark takes over as the new maanger of Stokke AS, which becomes the company's new name.
■ 2004: Rune Stokke takes over as the Chairman of the Board of Stokke AS from Even Wahr-Hansen, and reorganisation of the Board is initiated.
■ 2004: Wonderland is sold to Foinco. Kjell Storeide and the management become joint shareholders.
■ 2004: Fora Form AS is separated out as an independent company. Single Holding retains 52 % of the shares,
Kjell Storeide purchases 17 % and the employees and management purchase the rest.
■ 2005: The factory property at Vatne is sold.
■ 2005: The old Fora Form factory in the heart of Ørsta is sold.
■ 2006: Movement is sold to a newly established company, Variér AS, which is controlled by Credo Partners AS. Single
Holding AS retains 39 % and the employees and management own the rest.
■ 2006: Tennfjord Laminering AS is separated out as a separate company, 100 % owned by Stokke AS. This company is given a new management and a separate board.
■ 2007: The majority of Fora Form AS is sold to Credo Partners. Single Holding AS reduces its ownership stake to 19 %. Kjell Storeide continues to own the same number of shares as previously. The management and employees own the rest.
Stokke® Xplory®. Design: Bjørn Refsum / Hilde Angelfoss Øxseth. Design development in cooperation with K8 Industridesign AS. Product development in cooperation with Bård Eker Industrial Design AS.
