- Dale of Norway
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Dale of Norway is a Norwegian company that manufactures clothing, predominantly wool sweaters and outdoor jackets. The company is currently located outside the city of Bergen in Norway, and also has a subsidiary in Shelburne, Vermont.[1] The company has also been an official supplier since 1956 of sweaters for the Norwegian ski team and the winter Olympics.
Contents
History
Timeline
- 1872 - Founder Peter Jebsen passed through the village of Dale, Norway. Jebsen found the surroundings of Dale to be a great place for industry due to the natural waterfall on the Dale River.
- 1879 - Jebsen founded the textile mill Dale Fabrikker, known today as the company of Dale of Norway (1).
- 1912 - Dale of Norway establishes a new mill for worsted a yarn, which soon becomes one of Dale's main products.
- 1938 - The yarn, Heilo, is introduced. The yarn is spun from 100% Norwegian wool.
- 1954 - The Dale of Norway factory celebrates the 75th anniversary.
- 1954 - Dale of Norway signs a contract with the Norwegian National Ski Team.
- 1956 - The first Olympic sweater is made for the Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy.
- 1967 - The knitwear division of the company is established, this is the beginning of the trademark Dale of Norway sweaters seen today.
- 2002 - Dale of Norway is an Official Supplier of the Norwegian Ski Team, the US Ski and Snowboard Teams, the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Salt Lake Organizing Committee at Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Games.
- 2006 - Dale of Norway continues to be an Official Supplier for both Norwegian and US Olympic teams in 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games.[2]
- 2008 - Norwegian businessman Christian Bjelland sells 67% of Dale of Norway through stock shares. The company will receive approximately $3.34 million USD (2.47 million EUR) in new capital 20mn (US$ 3.34mn EUR 2.47mn) in new capital following the transaction. The company will be split in two with one being for clothing and the other being for the yarn itself.[3]
Company information
Dale of Norway has been producing woolen products since 1879.[4] Today, Dale of Norway employs 333 people and generates yearly net sales of $130,856,000 USD.[5]
Products
Though Dale of Norway is probably best known for their sweaters, they also produce and sell a wide variety of products. The company offers the traditional wool ski sweater for men, women, and children. Typically, many of the sweaters are labeled “unisex”.[2] Dale of Norway also makes shirts, hats, scarves, gloves and leggings; most of which are knitted of wool but some are made of cotton as well.[6] The company also sells the yarn that their sweaters are made of.
In 2008, Dale of Norway designed a sweater to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Norwegian Ski Association. The new design is based on traditional Norwegian designs combined with more contemporary colors and fits. Like most Dale of Norway sweaters, the 100th anniversary sweater is manufactures in sizes from 3 months for children to XXL for adults.[7]
Process
Dale of Norway makes its products primarily by hand. The company's scouring line is one of only two in Norway and one of few in the world. Scouring removes dirt and shorter fibers from the wool, creating a higher quality product. The wool is then stretched on the worsted line. This process makes the wool less susceptible to fraying and other damage and also brightens the colors.
The wool is then spun into single lines of yarn which a put out to rest for a few days. Different numbers of single threads can then be spun together to create different thicknesses in the yarn. Most of Dale of Norway’s yarn is a 4-ply thickness, but 2 and 3-ply yarn is also available. The yarn is then dyed and hung and dried in high frequency driers.
After the drying process, the yarn is ready for knitting. Each product can be knitted to a different thickness by using a different gauge on the knitting machine. Then, each of the pieces are put together using techniques such as circular linking, which is connecting the loops one by one so they appear to be together. This is done to keep the product durable, but without losing its shape.[2]
Involvement in the Olympics
Since 1956, Dale of Norway has been involved in making licensed sweaters for the Olympic ski teams of Norway. The first sweater was made for the Olympic Games of 1956 that were held in Cortina, Italy. Since then, each Olympic season a special sweater is made. In 2002, Dale of Norway created one for the United States ski team in the Salt Lake City Olympics. This sweater was the thirteenth sweater that was made in honor of the games. Often these sweaters are considered collector’s items.[2]
Dale of Norway designed an official sweater for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.[4]
References
- ^ Dale of Norway, Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Norwegian Sweaters and Cardigans by Dale of Norway, Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ Dagens Næringsliv, 07 Jun 2007, p.21, Retrieved from LexisNexis.com November 11, 2009.
- ^ a b Article, Retrieved from LexisNexis.com November 11, 2009.
- ^ Company Profile, Retrieved from LexisNexis.com November 11, 2009.
- ^ Dale of Norway Products, Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ Dale of Norway Anniversary Sweater, Retrieved October 23, 2009.
External links
Categories:- Companies based in Bergen
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