History

Sandella Fabrikken AS was established in 1960 in Straumgjerde, Norway, to produce rubber foam as upholstery material for the furniture industry. The company was an offshoot of Sande Fabrikker A/S, which had been producing foam rubber since 1947 as the first manufacturer in Norway. As an increasingly greater part of production went to the furniture industry in Sunnmøre, the management found it expedient to place a manufacturing division in Sykkylven, the heart of the furniture industry in Norway.

Manufacturing began in January 1961 in a former furniture factory in Straumgjerde. It soon became evident that the move to Sunnmøre was a good decision. In 1968, production was relocated to a modern industrial facility in Vik. In 1969, the second building phase was completed.

New products were being developed all the time. Within the plastics sector, towards the end of the 1960s, the development of moulded cold cure polyurethane foam had begun. This technology made encapsulating other materials possible and provided the furniture industry with different possibilities in terms of design and rational production. In the spring of 1970, we contacted the leading firm in Europe, Gommagomma, Milano, and started a trial production in Sykkylven. This became a great success, and after some time, this division began two-shift production of polyurethane foam.

In April 1974, the production of rubber foam had to be discontinued because of the oil crisis. Sandella then invested 100% in moulded flexible polyurethane foam, and the first automated production machine was installed. After this, more extensions of the factory followed, and new production machines were installed.

In the beginning of the 1990s, we decided to start selling our products outside Norway. Denmark was the first market we entered with great success. Later, Sandella expanded to new markets and is today selling in 15 countries in Europe, North America, and Australia.

Sandella has acquired competence within products of steel, aluminum, and construction/development through acquisitions of suppliers. Shape AS in Ålesund is our newest acquisition. They are specialists in 3-D construction, product development, milling, and reverse engineering.

As a result of these investments, Sandella has expanded and today runs companies in Sweden and Lithuania. This has made the Sandella Group the largest independent producer of moulded cold cure foam in Europe, with a production of 1 million parts and a turnover of NOK 170 million.

Since its foundation in 1960, Sandella has been owned by the Mehren family.