Our History

Kongsberg Automotive has its origins in Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk, a defence and weaponry company, which began producing brakes and driveshafts for Volvo in the late 1950's. Since then Kongsberg Automotive has developed from a Scandinavian automotive parts supplier to become a global leader in one of the most competitive and complex industries in the world.

 

1957

• Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk (KV) starts production of brakes for Volvo trucks

 

1958

• Production of drive shafts for Volvo
• Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk splits in divisions and the automotive division is established

 

1975

• The factory in Rollag, Norway, starts production

 

1976

• The factory in Hvittingfoss, Norway, starts production

 

1984

• Olav Volldal named Director of the Automotive Division

 

1987

• Employees buy the Automotive Division from Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk and Kongsberg Automotive is established

 

1995

• Kongsberg Automotive is listed on the Oslo stock exchange

 

1996

• Kongsberg Automotive buys Swedish group Scandmec, which also has production in England and USA

 

1997

• Kongsberg Automotive buys the Swedish company Euro Autotec

 

1998

• Kongsberg Automotive establishes production in Brazil

 

1999

• Private equity company Industri Kapital (IK) buys Kongsberg Automotive and delists Kongsberg Automotive from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
• Kongsberg Automotive establishes production of seat heating in Reynosa, Mexico

 

2000

• Kongsberg Automotive establishes technology center for gearshifts in Michigan, USA
• Kongsberg Automotive establishes production in Poland

 

2001

• Kongsberg Automotive buys Jung Ang, the leading producer of clutch servos in Korea

 

2003

• Kongsberg Automotive buys UK group Ctex Seat Comfort Holding Ltd.

 

2004

• Kongsberg Automotive buys Raufoss United AS, Norway
• Kongsberg Automotive establishes production in China

 

2005

• Kongsberg Automotive relisted on the Oslo Stock Exchange
• Kongsberg Automotive buys US company Milan Seating Systems

 

2007/2008

• Kongsberg Automotive buys Teleflex GMS, USA (Global Motion Systems)

 

2009

• Sale of aviation business

 

2010

• Hans Peter Havdal appointed President & CEO

 

2012

• Kongsberg Automotive establishes electronic center of excellence in Shawinigan, Canada

 

2016

• Henning E. Jensen appointed President & CEO
• Opening of new addition to Headquarters in Kongsberg, Norway, including a test lab and technical center

 

2017

• Operational Headquarters moved from Kongsberg, Norway, to Zürich, Switzerland
• Sale of headrest and armrest business

 

2018

• Sale of epower business
• Kongsberg Automotive expands its production capability in Poland with an additional production facility in Brzesc Kujawski

 

2019

• Sale of MRF technology
• Kongsberg Automotive establishes electronic and software technology center in Pune, India

 

2020

• Kongsberg Automotive expands its production capability in China with an additional production facility – Wuxi Shuofang

 

2021

• Joerg Buchheim appointed President & CEO

 

2022

• Sale of Interior Comfort Systems business unit
• Sale of Light Duty Cables business unit
• Sale of a part of Kongsberg Automotive’s Shawinigan operations
• Kongsberg Automotive merges Couplings and Fluid Transfer Systems business units to set up Flow Control Systems business unit

 

2023

• Opening of Kongsberg Automotive's Brzesc Kujawski plant
• Acquisition of 20% of the shares in Chassis Autonomy SBA AB 
• Linda Nyquist-Evenrud appointed interim President & CEO
• Agreement with Romoline to purchase patents related to camera washing technology
• Purchase of 100 percent of the share capital of Skriverform AS 

 

2024

• Linda Nyquist-Evenrud appointed President & CEO
• Kongsberg, Norway reestablised as Kongsberg Automotive's Headquarters