Hans Peter Koppernæs obtains a trading licence in Ålesund, and together with Ole Nørve he starts his own business in Ålesund providing everything from timber to fish.
They split the business into two parts in 1889, Nørve took over the timber business while Koppernæs continued the fish trading and sale of supply to the fishing fleet.
Koppernæs acquires his first fishing boat, the sail cutter "Sørrideren". This was a boat that could fish on the banks outside Ålesund and was the beginning of a pioneering history of great proportions.
The company is constantly exploring new markets and technologies with passion and adventure. Far to the north lay an icy adventure world, an eldorado for fishing and hunting. In 1898 Koppernæs contributed to the financing of the first seal-catching expedition to Greenland.
After the fire of Ålesund in 1904, approximately 800 houses burned down and among this the home and the business premises of Koppernæs. This catastrophic event, which took place on the night of January 23rd to 24th, destroyed most of the town, leaving a significant portion of its population homeless.
Hans Peter Koppernæs enters into an agreement with Brødr. Kraasbye to buy the factory at Vedde. The factory was used for landing and processing of seal blubber.
The rebuilding of the town startet immediately and in 1907 Koppernæs’s new business premises in Kongens gate 23 are ready for use.
Norwegian sealers were among the pioneers in venturing into the icy waters surrounding Greenland and one of the major players is now Hans Peter Koppernæs.
In 1925 the factory at Vedde was expanded with fishmeal and fish oil production in addition to the blubber processing facility.
This was a good choice since fishmeal and fish oil are still Vedde's main products.
Hans Peter Koppernæs passes away at the age of 71. His sons Karl and Johan, representing the second generation, assume responsibility for running the business.
To ensure the highest possible quality of herring, Koppernæs hired 10 Scottish experts, who were assigned to the company’s boats. They trained the crew on the best methods for processing Icelandic herring, resulting in Koppernæs earning a prestigious quality stamp. This innovative approach to gaining a competitive edge would become a recurring strategy in the years that followed.
The German occupation was a very challenging time for the family business. The boat Jernbarden is seized and it is sunk in 1944. The boat "Jan Mayen" entered allied service – sank in 1943. Koppernæs house is partly occupied by the Germans.
Koppernæs, which had become a large business, lost a high-profile manager. Johan had led Koppernæs through one of the most demanding periods in Norwegian business life. He left behind his wife Astrid and 4 children aged 10 to 17.
Though the shock is overwhelming for his wife Astrid, she has no choice but to move on and now, in addition to caring for her four children, she gets involved in the family business together with her brother in-law Karl.
Karl A. Koppernæs left the family business in 1950 and started his own firm. The third generation, son of Johan H. and Astrid, Hans Peter Koppernæs is appointed manager and takes over the main responsibility of the business.
In the 1950s, the fisheries on the west coast of Norway were fantastic. “it smells of money” people say when the gray industrial smoke for the fish plant engulfs the towns. Production at the Koppernæs’ Vedde plant is running at full speed and fishing vessels are filled to the brim with herring, the silver of the ocean. They are landed in such large quantities that the decision is made to double the plant capacity.
He only got eight years as company manager and died at the age of 32. Again, Koppernæs had lost a manager at a young age. During the eight years that Hans Peter Koppernæs had led the company, a significant development took place.
He did a lot to improve the working day for his employees and he made large investments to develop the companies.
Hans Peter's young widow Inger is appointed manager. She received assistance from her mother-in-law, Astrid, who herself became a widow 16 years earlier. Her sister-in-law Inger Margretha and brother-in-law Johan D. are also starting to get involved in the business. It soon became clear that the women ́ s entry into the traditionally male dominated business was a success, and the new manager, Inger, proved herself a clever boss who was willing to listen to suggestions and ideas but with the ability to quickly arrive at a conclusion and make decisions.
Koppernæs established a fishmeal factory in Tambo de Mora, Peru, after initially considering alternatives in Chile. Approximately half of the processing equipment from Vedde was dismantled and shipped across the ocean to the new factory.
The military government in Peru is nationalizing its industries, including the Koppernæs business. The foreign owners must leave the country.
In 1973 Inger Koppernæs is elected as a deputy member for the conservative party Høyre. In 1981 Kåre Willoch forms his first government and invites Inger to take the position as a Minister of Transportation and Communication.
With Inger serving as a Minister in Oslo, changes became necessary at Koppernæs in Ålesund. Her eldest son, Hans Peter, now 30 years old, was appointed as interim general manager of the family business.
Koppernæs moves all their activities that previously were spread around different locations across town to new premises in Breivika, Ålesund with the exception of the factory at Vedde, of course.
In 1989 Inger withdraws from national politics and returns to Ålesund and the family business. She continues in the role as Chairperson of the board while Hans Peter is appointed as general manager. In 1990 she dies tragically at the family holiday home in Skodje.
Hans Peter undertook many trips to South America to find suitable investments for an international venture in fishmeal and fish oil. In 2000, he succeeded and purchased the Lota Protein factory in Chile. It was a heavy lift at that time, but through significant investments in the factory and, not least, in the employees, the company has gradually established a well-run and successful factory operating to the highest quality standards.
Parallel to the purchase of Lota Protein in Chile, the Oslo-based company Tingstad was acquired in 2000. The product range of Koppernæs and Tingstad was relatively similar, featuring fasteners and industrial supplies, but their customer bases were somewhat different, with a focus respectively on the maritime and land-based industries.
The sale of maritime safety equipment initially operated as a separate profit center within Tingstad but grew significantly over time. Consequently, it became natural to spin it off into a separate company, Brude Safety AS, in 2002, to facilitate further growth.
As Koppernæs grew in scale and required increased professionalization, it was decided in 2004 to hire a CEO from outside the family. Hans Peter Koppernæs then transitioned to the role of Chairman of the Board, and Odd Joachim Gjørtz became the first external CEO of the group, serving from 2004 to 2013.
In 2011, the baton was passed from father to son, and a new, younger Hans Peter Koppernæs took over as Chairman of the Board at Koppernæs AS. He had previously not worked at Koppernæs and came from a position at the German company Siemens i Oslo.
After some challenging years for Tingstad at the end of the 2000s, the focus once again turned beyond its own borders for further growth and development. The answer came in Gothenburg in 2012 when 60% of Nordic Fastening Group was acquired by Tingstad. This company also focused on fasteners but introduced new products in concrete anchoring and provided access to new markets and customers.
In 2013, Odd Joachim Gjørtz retired, and Kenneth Lande Klokk was hired as the new CEO of Koppernæs AS. He had been the leader of Tingstad since 2008 before taking over responsibility for the entire group.
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The need to consolidate the fishmeal and fish oil industry was pressing, and in 2013, Lota Protein, Vedde, and the Danish company TripleNine merged to form TripleNine Group, headquartered in Esbjerg, Denmark. TripleNine Group was owned 50% by Koppernæs and 50% by Danish fishermen through Triple Fish.
In 2013, Koppernæs underwent a strategic process in which it shifted focus from being a family-owned company to a family-owned investment company. In this context, it was deemed natural that Brude Safety needed new owners to further develop the company, and it was therefore sold to Survitec Group in 2013.
Access to raw materials for the factory at Vedde is critically important, and as a result, TripleNine helped establish the processing plant Fosnavaag Pelagic in 2013, alongside, among others, Nils Sperre. This company produces high-quality products from pelagic species such as herring and mackerel.
In 2017, Tingstad acquired the remaining 40% of Nordic Fastening Group, and together with the founders, a joint plan was developed for the company's continued growth and development.
After many years of a jointly owned sales and distribution company between Pelagia and TripleNine Group, it was decided in 2020 that TripleNine Group would sell its 50% share in Norsildmel to Pelagia and establish its own sales company.
In 2020, a major reorganization of the corporate structure at Koppernæs was carried out, and the current divisions, Koppernæs Protein, Koppernæs Fasteners and Koppernæs Real Estate, were established with an increased focuson commercialization and professionalization.
After a series of transactions and restructurings, Koppernæs Protein became the 100% owner of TripleNine Group.
Today, Koppernæs stands stronger than ever before, but the company does not rest on its laurels and continuously works to develop the company and its employees towards a sustainable future. Our overarching ambition is to actresponsibly regarding the footprint the company’s activities leave on the outdoor environment. Sustainability is an inherent part of our philosophy, which ensures that our heritage can be passed on to future generations in the best possible way.
