Ringnes
Encyclopedia
Ringnes is the largest brewer in Norway
.
district of Oslo
produced its first beer in 1877. The brewery was founded by brothers Amund and Ellef Ringnes (Amund was the brewer, Ellef the administrator and salesman) together with financial director Axel Heiberg
. Amund Ringnes (1840–1907) and Ellef Ringnes (1842–1929), were both born and grew up on the historic Ringnes farm in Krødsherad
.
Ringnes produces beer, soft drinks and mineral water. Ringnes has six production plants: Nittedal
(main plant Gjelleråsen
), Trondheim
(EC Dahl's Brewery), Arendal
(Arendals Brewery), Bodø
(Nordland
brewery), Larvik
(Farris mineral water
) and Imsdalen in Østerdalen
(Imsdalfabrikken).
The company sponsored the polar expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen
and Otto Sverdrup
and funded the construction of the exploration vessel Fram
. During his exploration of the high Canadian Arctic in 1900, Sverdrup named three large islands after his sponsors (Axel Heiberg Island
, Amund Ringnes Island
, and Ellef Ringnes Island
). The Geiberg Islands
(Гейберга Острова) in the Russia
n Arctic were named after Axel Heiberg, and Ostrov Ringnes (Остров Рингнес), the largest island of the Mona
group in the Kara Sea
, was named after the brewery.
Ringnes remained a family-owned business until 1978, when it merged with De sammensluttede Bryggerier A/S (which had been formed by the union of drinks companies Frydenlund and Schous) forming Nora Industrier
. Later they also bought family-owned traditional brands as E. C. Dahls Brewery
(1987), Arendals (1980) and Tou
(1990).
Nora in turn merged with Orkla Group
in 1991. Orkla placed Ringnes into a combined business unit, together with Swedish brewer Pripps
. In 2000 Orkla made a deal with Danish
drinks giant Carlsberg whereby Pripps Ringnes became a part of Carlsberg, in exchange for Orkla owning 40% of Carlsberg. When, in 2004, Carlsberg bought out Orkla's shares, Ringnes was for the first time entirely owned by a foreign company. Christian Ringnes, a descendant of the founders told daily business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv
that "a country without a leading beer brand is like a man without potency", and called the sale a national catastrophe.
Ringnes is the sole bottler and distributor of PepsiCo
beverages in Norway; these products include:
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...
.
History
Ringnes AS was founded in 1876. The company's brewery in the GrünerløkkaGrünerløkka
Grünerløkka is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. Grünerløkka became part of the city of Oslo in 1858.Grünerløkka was named after Friedrich Grüner who bought a mill in the area from king Christian V of Denmark in 1672 . During the 19th century, Grünerløkka became a working class area...
district of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
produced its first beer in 1877. The brewery was founded by brothers Amund and Ellef Ringnes (Amund was the brewer, Ellef the administrator and salesman) together with financial director Axel Heiberg
Axel Heiberg
Axel Heiberg was a Norwegian diplomat, financier and patron.He was married to Ragnhild Meyer, daughter of Thorvald Meyer; they had one child, Ingeborg...
. Amund Ringnes (1840–1907) and Ellef Ringnes (1842–1929), were both born and grew up on the historic Ringnes farm in Krødsherad
Krødsherad
Krødsherad is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Noresund. The municipality of Krødsherad was established when it was separated from the municipality of Sigdal on 1 January 1901.-Name:The Old Norse form of the name was...
.
Ringnes produces beer, soft drinks and mineral water. Ringnes has six production plants: Nittedal
Nittedal
Nittedal is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rotnes....
(main plant Gjelleråsen
Gjelleråsen
Gjelleråsen is the name of an area between Oslo, Skedsmo and Nittedal.The area is bordered by to the west, Skedsmo to the east, and Nittedal to the north...
), Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
(EC Dahl's Brewery), Arendal
Arendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
(Arendals Brewery), Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
(Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
brewery), Larvik
Larvik
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Larvik kommune - has about 41 364 inhabitants and covers 530 km2....
(Farris mineral water
Farris (mineral water)
Farris is a brand of mineral water produced in Larvik. It is Norway's oldest and by a distance best-selling bottled water. It has been mentioned in the literature as having positive health effect.-History:...
) and Imsdalen in Østerdalen
Østerdalen
Østerdalen is a valley and traditional district in Hedmark County, in Eastern Norway. It consisting of the municipalities Rendalen, Alvdal, Folldal,Tynset, Tolga and Os in the north, Elverum, Stor-Elvdal, Engerdal, Trysil and Åmot in the south.-Geography:...
(Imsdalfabrikken).
The company sponsored the polar expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
and Otto Sverdrup
Otto Sverdrup
Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer.-Early and personal life:...
and funded the construction of the exploration vessel Fram
Fram
Fram is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912...
. During his exploration of the high Canadian Arctic in 1900, Sverdrup named three large islands after his sponsors (Axel Heiberg Island
Axel Heiberg Island
Axel Heiberg Island is an island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located in the Arctic Ocean, it is the 31st largest island in the world and Canada's seventh largest island. According to Statistics Canada, it has an area of ....
, Amund Ringnes Island
Amund Ringnes Island
Amund Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the Arctic Ocean, between 78 and 79 degrees of latitude. It lies east of Ellef Ringnes Island, west of Axel Heiberg Island. Hassel Sound separates Amund Ringnes Island from Ellef Ringnes...
, and Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island...
). The Geiberg Islands
Geiberg Islands
The Heiberg Islands, spelt Geyberg, Gejberg or Geiberg is a group of four small islands covered with tundra vegetation and with scattered stones on their shores. They lie in the Kara Sea, between the bleak coast of Siberia's Taymyr Peninsula and Severnaya Zemlya...
(Гейберга Острова) in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Arctic were named after Axel Heiberg, and Ostrov Ringnes (Остров Рингнес), the largest island of the Mona
Mona Islands
The Mona Islands is a group of a few scattered small islands covered with tundra vegetation. They are located in the Kara Sea, about 30 km north of the western coast of the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia, Russia....
group in the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
, was named after the brewery.
Ringnes remained a family-owned business until 1978, when it merged with De sammensluttede Bryggerier A/S (which had been formed by the union of drinks companies Frydenlund and Schous) forming Nora Industrier
Nora Industrier
Nora Industrier was a Norwegian company, most of its history involved in manufacturing of soft drinks and foodstuffs.It traced its history back to the brewery St. Halvard Bryggeri, established in Pilestredet in 1877. It originally brewed beer only, from 1882 soda as well. In 1918 the brewery...
. Later they also bought family-owned traditional brands as E. C. Dahls Brewery
E. C. Dahls Brewery
E.C. Dahls Brewery is a brewery and soft drink factory based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:E.C. Dahls Brewery was founded in 1856 by Erich Christian Dahl , a local businessman and consul-general from Trondheim. He was the son of Erich Dahl Christine Lyche...
(1987), Arendals (1980) and Tou
Tou (brewery)
Tou was a brewery established in 1855 at Tau near Stavanger, Norway.In 1901, the production of beer was moved to Lervik in Stavanger....
(1990).
Nora in turn merged with Orkla Group
Orkla Group
Orkla Group is a Norwegian industrial conglomerate operating in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, Asia and the US. The company's main divisions are branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions, materials, associates and financial investments.-Operations:...
in 1991. Orkla placed Ringnes into a combined business unit, together with Swedish brewer Pripps
Pripps
Pripps was a major brewery in Sweden and is now a part of Carlsberg, in which Pripps remains as a trademark. The company was based in Gothenburg; their main product was Pripps Blå. They also owned Ramlösa. Pripps was founded in Gothenburg by Johan Albrecht Pripp in 1828.-Beer:Pripps Blå, lit...
. In 2000 Orkla made a deal with Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
drinks giant Carlsberg whereby Pripps Ringnes became a part of Carlsberg, in exchange for Orkla owning 40% of Carlsberg. When, in 2004, Carlsberg bought out Orkla's shares, Ringnes was for the first time entirely owned by a foreign company. Christian Ringnes, a descendant of the founders told daily business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv
Dagens Næringsliv
Dagens Næringsliv, commonly known as DN, is a Norwegian tabloid specializing in business reporting with a claimed daily circulation of 82,775 copies in 2008, making it the 8th largest newspaper in Norway. The editor in chief is Amund Djuve. Its name is Norwegian for "Today's Business".Originally...
that "a country without a leading beer brand is like a man without potency", and called the sale a national catastrophe.
Ringnes products
- Dahls IngefærølE. C. Dahls BreweryE.C. Dahls Brewery is a brewery and soft drink factory based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:E.C. Dahls Brewery was founded in 1856 by Erich Christian Dahl , a local businessman and consul-general from Trondheim. He was the son of Erich Dahl Christine Lyche...
- ImsdalImsdalImsdal is a brand of still, bottled mineral water from the Imsdal spring in Norway, near the foot of the Rondane Mountains. Ringnes brewery in Oslo holds the rights to bottle the water.Imsdal comes in several sizes and flavours:* 33 cl* 50 cl* 60 cl...
mineral water - FarrisFarris (mineral water)Farris is a brand of mineral water produced in Larvik. It is Norway's oldest and by a distance best-selling bottled water. It has been mentioned in the literature as having positive health effect.-History:...
mineral water - Mozell
- Eventyrbrus
- Tou EplemostTou (brewery)Tou was a brewery established in 1855 at Tau near Stavanger, Norway.In 1901, the production of beer was moved to Lervik in Stavanger....
- Nora EplemostNora IndustrierNora Industrier was a Norwegian company, most of its history involved in manufacturing of soft drinks and foodstuffs.It traced its history back to the brewery St. Halvard Bryggeri, established in Pilestredet in 1877. It originally brewed beer only, from 1882 soda as well. In 1918 the brewery...
- Sino Appelsinjuice
- SoloSolo (Norwegian soft drink)In Norway, Solo is an orange-flavoured soft drink, owned by Norwegian companies Ringnes, Oskar Sylte, Aass, and Mack. Solo is one of the most famous brands, and by far the largest Norwegian soda. The recipe was originally Spanish, and brought to the Tønsberg Brewery by Torleif Gulliksrud in 1934...
- Villa
- Lipton Ice Tea, under licence from UnileverUnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
- Schweppes range, under licence from Dr Pepper Snapple GroupDr Pepper Snapple GroupDr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. is an American soft drink company, based in Plano, Texas.It was spun off from Britain's Cadbury Schweppes, on May 5, 2008, with trading in its shares starting on May 7, 2008...
Ringnes is the sole bottler and distributor of PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
beverages in Norway; these products include:
- 7UP / 7UPfree
- Mountain DewMountain DewMountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
- PepsiPepsiPepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...