Our vision and values
Vision:
Welcome to Nature
Mission:
Making the greatest outdoor products
Values:
Roots/ Innovation/ Passion
Design philosophy:
Loaded minimalism™ – great products made as clean as possible with all critical details
ABOUT US
Norrøna is a Norwegian outdoor company that continuously push the boundaries of functional product design to offer premium quality gear for any adventure. Our vision is to welcome more people to nature by making the greatest outdoor products with sustainability as an essential foundation throughout the entire value chain.
Every year we donate 1% of our total revenue to causes and organizations working on sustainability and environmentally friendly initiatives.
In 1929, Jørgen Jørgensen, a Norwegian outdoor enthusiast, began his search for durable outdoor equipment to perform in Norway’s harsh and rugged land.
Starting with simple innovations such as leather straps, canvas backpacks and cotton clothing, he set Norrøna's direction: To search for the best in technical advancements and to create the ultimate performance products.
Today, four generations later, as traditional mountain life broadens, we are still a family-owned and run company based near Oslo, Norway. We inherit from our forefathers our passionate commitment to advance the boundaries of product function, with design-bred solutions to equip you with the highest-grade, weather-protective gear for your outdoor needs.
We control the ultimate detail with the promise to bring you excellence through experimental, technical perfection assisted by our dedicated testers. From concept to creation, our in-house team of designers and craftsmen are compelled to stretch the edges of innovation. We build touchstone products, establish construction techniques, and redefine the meaning of fit, fabric, function and finish, based on our design principle of Loaded Minimalism™.
Our drive for practical purity produces pioneering benchmarks. We created the original mountain tunnel tent (1972), devised the standard monitoring system for backpacks (1979), and were the first company to use Gore-Tex® in Europe (1977).
Whether you climb, tour, telemark, ski or snowboard, our wide range of apparel, backpacks and accessories salute the spirit of Norrøna to ensure its high-end, performance-driven products continue to work and inspire with integrity, innovation and above all, technical function.
This is the beginning of our history.
1888 - 1939
1888 - Jørgen Jørgensen is born.
1918 - He starts a company called Polar at Markveien 34 in Oslo with a partner.
1928 - Jørgen Jørgensen decides to start up for himself and end the cooperation in Polar.
1929 - On the 29th of April, 1929, Jørgen Jørgensen starts up J.J Norrøna Sporting goods and leather factory in Fredensborgveien 11. The ambition was to make the highest quality outdoor products. He is accompanied by the two sewers Solveig Olsen and Ingrid Ramstad from Polar. Quality still remains as one of most important building blocks in the company today.
1933 - The production focused on backpacks, tents and some leather articles. Sleeping bags and outdoor garments also became part of the collection. But 1929 was not the perfect year to start a company, and the company went bankrupt in 1933.
1934 - Already in 1934 Jørgensen started the company back up again, and towards the end of the 30's business is developing well. The company moves to a new location in Grensen 7, downtown Oslo. At this time you could buy a backpack for 9 NOK's.
1939 - Norrøna manufactures products for the war in Finland. The company has about 15 employees, and salaries are paid every Friday.
1940 - 1989
1948 - The company management is taken over by Bjarne Jørgensen, second generation Jørgensen to lead the company.
1971 - Company management is taken over by Ole Jørgen Jørgensen, third generation Jørgensen to lead the company. Tomas Carlstrøm (the founder of Skandinavisk Høyfjellsutstyr, which became the best known mountaineering store in Scandinavia) was employed as a freelance product developer, while focus was directed towards active development of backpacks and mountain tents, as well as mountain garments. As new products were established, existing trading activities were reduced accordingly. Functionality was now introduced as the second building block of the company.
1972 - Norrøna introduced Ravneskar, the first tunnel tent with front and rear openings. Norrøna introduced padded hip belts on the Beito and Tyin backpacks.
1973 - The introduction of the Stetind climbing backpack. Ambassadors: Ove Skjerven, Odd Eliasen and Erik Bølke went over the Hadeng La pass to reach Noshag (7800 metres). The introduction of an improved version of Beito, that later was renamed Hadeng La. This signified in many ways the start of the expedition wave that followed and which Norrøna became a large part of.
1974 - The Ringstind tunnel tent was launched.
1975 - A new wind proof Arktis cotton anorak was launched.
1976 - Skarstind tunnel tent was launched. Cotton mountain jacket and pants, also an Arktis wind pant were made. The company changed it's name to Norrøna Sport AS. About the same time the new edition of the Viking was made by Bruno Oldani.