Peterson (company)
Encyclopedia
Peterson AS is an industrial corporation based in Moss
, Norway
. Until 2006 it was known as M. Peterson & Søn.
(1771–1835). Originally a small general store with various groceries and manufactured goods, he later opened a spinning mill. In 1828 the company took the name M. Peterson & Søn. Peterson also expanded to trade with timber, and from 1848, the building and owning of ships.
Having combined timber and shipping, in 1883 the company left the shipping business under the leadership of Theodor Peterson
, grandson of the founder. Instead, the company ventured in production of cellulose sulfate with the opening of the factory Moss Cellulosefabrik. From 1898, paper was also produced. Hans Blom Peterson, a descendant of Momme Peterson, served as CEO from 1901 to 1954 and concentrated on developing this part of the company. He also started production of paper sacks. Though Blom Peterson died in 1954 the company remained family owned; in 1963 another descendant Ralph Mollatt
took over the leadership. Together with his brother Erik
he gradually shunted the company towards the packaging business. In their period, M. Peterson & Søn bought several entities within the paper industry, including Sarpsborg Papp
(1961), Norsk Papiremballage (1963), Polycoat (1964), Greaker Industrier
(1979) and Ranheim Papirfabrikk
(1983). Erik Mollatt was CEO from 1983 to 2002.
In 2001, the unit Peterson Scanproof (a successor of Greaker Industrier) was split from M. Peterson & Søn to form a company of its own, Nordic Paper
. M. Peterson & Søn still owned Nordic Paper, albeit jointly with Norske Skogindustrier, but sold it in 2006. In the same year, M. Peterson & Søn was bought in its entirety by investors, including local businesspeople as well as the forest owners' association AT Skog
. At the same time, the name was changed from M. Peterson & Søn to just Peterson.
, left a corporate structure with M. Peterson & Søn as the parent, and Peterson Packaging and Peterson Linerboard as branches. Peterson Packaging is further subdivided into Peterson Packaging OY and Peterson Emballasje AS, the discinction between the two being that the latter operates in Norway while the former operates abroad. Since the Peterson name was introduced in all sub-companies in 1992, each production unit is named according to its location and field. For instance, the factory formerly known as Sarpsborg Papp is formally named Peterson Emballasje AS, Sarpsborg.
In addition to factories in several countries, the company operates numerous sales offices spread around Europe.
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Until 2006 it was known as M. Peterson & Søn.
History
It traces its roots to a company founded in 1801 by Danish-born merchant Momme PetersonMomme Peterson
Momme Peterson was a Danish-Norwegian businessperson and politician. He is best known for founding the company M. Peterson & Søn....
(1771–1835). Originally a small general store with various groceries and manufactured goods, he later opened a spinning mill. In 1828 the company took the name M. Peterson & Søn. Peterson also expanded to trade with timber, and from 1848, the building and owning of ships.
Having combined timber and shipping, in 1883 the company left the shipping business under the leadership of Theodor Peterson
Theodor Peterson
Theodor Peterson was a Norwegian businessperson and politician. He is known for his development of the family company M. Peterson & Søn, and also served one term in the Norwegian Parliament.-Personal life:...
, grandson of the founder. Instead, the company ventured in production of cellulose sulfate with the opening of the factory Moss Cellulosefabrik. From 1898, paper was also produced. Hans Blom Peterson, a descendant of Momme Peterson, served as CEO from 1901 to 1954 and concentrated on developing this part of the company. He also started production of paper sacks. Though Blom Peterson died in 1954 the company remained family owned; in 1963 another descendant Ralph Mollatt
Ralph Mollatt
Ralph Mollatt was a Norwegian businessperson.He was born in Oslo, and studied in Syracuse, New York and Grenoble. He worked in the family company M. Peterson & Søn, and was CEO from 1963 to 1980. His younger brother Erik was later CEO from 1983 to 2002.For his work, Ralph Mollatt was decorated...
took over the leadership. Together with his brother Erik
Erik Mollatt
Erik James Momme Mollatt is a Norwegian businessperson.He was born in Rygge as the younger brother of Ralph Mollatt, and graduated in economics from the American University in 1967. He was the CEO of M. Peterson & Søn from 1983 to 2002, and under his leadership the company became one of Norway's...
he gradually shunted the company towards the packaging business. In their period, M. Peterson & Søn bought several entities within the paper industry, including Sarpsborg Papp
Sarpsborg Papp
Sarpsborg Papp AS was a Norwegian industrial company, which ran a packaging plant in Sarpsborg, Norway.Founded in 1914 as Sarpsborg Emballagefabrik, it was the first corrugated paper factory in Norway. In 1961 the company was acquired by M. Peterson & Søn. It was M...
(1961), Norsk Papiremballage (1963), Polycoat (1964), Greaker Industrier
Greaker Industrier
Greaker Industrier AS was a Norwegian industrial company, which ran a paper mill in Sarpsborg, Norway.It was founded by Cæsar Bang in 1905 as Greaker Cellulosefabrik. A 1972 bankrupt caused a slight reorganization, and the name Greaker Industrier was taken. In 1979 the company was acquired by M....
(1979) and Ranheim Papirfabrikk
Ranheim Papirfabrikk
Ranheim Papirfabrikk AS was a Norwegian industrial company, which ran a paper factory with the same name at Ranheim, Trondheim, Norway.The construction of it started in 1882, and it was opened as Ranheims Cellulosefabrik in 1884 by businessperson and politician Lauritz Jenssen, a son of Lauritz...
(1983). Erik Mollatt was CEO from 1983 to 2002.
In 2001, the unit Peterson Scanproof (a successor of Greaker Industrier) was split from M. Peterson & Søn to form a company of its own, Nordic Paper
Nordic Paper
Nordic Paper AS is a Norwegian industrial company, operating in Norway and Sweden. It was founded in 2001 when Peterson Scanproof, a branch of M. Peterson & Søn which consisted of production units in Greåker and Säffle, was merged with a paper factory in Geithus, owned by Norske Skog Union.The...
. M. Peterson & Søn still owned Nordic Paper, albeit jointly with Norske Skogindustrier, but sold it in 2006. In the same year, M. Peterson & Søn was bought in its entirety by investors, including local businesspeople as well as the forest owners' association AT Skog
AT Skog
AT Skog BA is a regional forestry organisation for Agder counties and Telemark, and the district organisation of Norges Skogeierforbund. AT Skog has around 8500 members, organised in 54 local forestry groups. The organisation is based in Skien....
. At the same time, the name was changed from M. Peterson & Søn to just Peterson.
Structure
In 1989 a new corporate model was introduced, with the ten individual companies grouped under one umbrella—M. Peterson & Søn, still family owned. Various transactions between 1998 and 2001, including the selling of Peterson Scanproof and the acquiring of the solid board division of UPM-KymmeneUPM (company)
UPM-Kymmene Corporation is a Finnish pulp, paper and timber manufacturer. UPM-Kymmene was formed by the merger of Kymmene Corporation and Repola Ltd and its subsidiary United Paper Mills Ltd in 1996...
, left a corporate structure with M. Peterson & Søn as the parent, and Peterson Packaging and Peterson Linerboard as branches. Peterson Packaging is further subdivided into Peterson Packaging OY and Peterson Emballasje AS, the discinction between the two being that the latter operates in Norway while the former operates abroad. Since the Peterson name was introduced in all sub-companies in 1992, each production unit is named according to its location and field. For instance, the factory formerly known as Sarpsborg Papp is formally named Peterson Emballasje AS, Sarpsborg.
In addition to factories in several countries, the company operates numerous sales offices spread around Europe.