Adaptation is in our culture

We have to go back to 1860 to find the year when the coastal town of Florø was granted city status, thanks to the rich herring fishery off the waters around Kinn. However, the herring was unpredictable, coming and going as it pleased. The people of Florø had to adapt and find new ways to secure their livelihoods.

In the early 1980s, the World Health Organization declared AIDS an epidemic, A-ha reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Take on Me," and the Windows operating system was launched for the first time. Meanwhile, cautious optimism was growing in Florø's industrial community. The oil age had begun at Fugleskjærskaia, and the terminal was used as a supply base for exploration drilling off the coast of Sogn and Fjordane. However, two local entrepreneurs saw an opportunity in a small industrial area at Botnastranda.

The base gets its name

On March 20, 1982, Firdaposten announced that the base at Botnaneset would be named Fjord Base. A public contest was held to decide on the name for the brand-new base, with 400 suggestions submitted. "Fjord Base is a name that sounds good in both Norwegian and English," said Mayor Hjertenes in '82, and we agree to this day. The area continues to take shape and evolve.

Close to every decision

In the early 1980s, Oddgeir Igland ran West Industri Service, a company still thriving today. The company primarily served clients in the piping industry, delivering complete piping systems for the maritime and offshore sectors.

Per Nødseth, on the other hand, specialized in electrical engineering. One day in August 1979, he founded NBN Elektro, with himself as managing director. The goal was to create more jobs in Florø, providing electrical installation and service for industrial, building, and construction sectors. This venture proved successful, as NBN Elektro, like WIS, continues to thrive, even 40 years after its establishment.

At the close of 1984, Igland and Nødseth joined forces to supply the oil industry. By forming the holding company INC Invest together and building technical companies around this core, INC Group was established. With oil activity moving further north on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Oddgeir and Per saw an opportunity to enter a promising market for multidisciplinary maintenance. Both brought their existing companies into the newly formed group.

Since then, Oddgeir and Per have served as entrepreneurs, owners, and managers of Fjord Base. They have remained close to all activities, decisions, and strategies along the way. Driven by a desire for continuous development, the result is now an industrial area of over 1,060,000 m², hosting more than 650 jobs. These two founders continue to create jobs and activity in the local community, standing firm through challenges and believing in the Fjord Base project from day one.

A Successful Venture

Oddgeir and Per’s initiatives have generated substantial work at Fjord Base, both locally and offshore. Oil fields off the coast, such as Snorre, Gullfaks, Tordis, Vigdis, Visund, Statfjord, and Veslefrikk, have provided high activity and significant work at Fjord Base from the 1980s to this day. Strategic location and proximity to these fields have been key competitive advantages all along, marking the start of an industrial adventure in Florø. As of 2023, INC Group consists of 13 companies, with a revenue of around NOK 700 million and 380 employees. They have laid the foundation for the Florø community, with approximately 600 jobs in total now based at Fjord Base.

– The entrepreneurial spirit has been central to the group’s mission under Igland and Nødseth’s leadership. Many initiatives and new companies have succeeded and remain vibrant today. Other ventures were bold, sometimes even spectacular, but ultimately unsuccessful. In the pursuit of innovation, risk is something one must accept.

Long-term decisions

In March 2023, we announced that the companies in the Fjord Base Holding Group had been sold to the European investment and management company Ancala Partners. The companies included in this acquisition are Saga Fjordbase, Fjord Base, INC Support, Norsk Contracting Partner, and HyFuel (33.3%). Fjord Base Holding shares were previously owned 50% by WIS Holding and 50% by Semi. WIS Holding is the family company of Oddgeir Igland, while Semi belongs to Per Nødseth.

Ancala purchased all 2,100,000 shares owned by WIS Holding, as well as half of the 2,100,000 shares held by Semi. This means that Oddgeir has now exited oil- and energy-related activities at the base, while Per’s companies continue as local co-owners with a 25% stake.

We are confident that Ancala will continue to develop base operations in a positive and sustainable direction, building on the strong foundation laid here over the past 40 years. Ancala is a long-term and financially strong majority owner of the supply base, essential for meeting future demands for adaptation and sustainability. New ownership will strengthen our competitiveness, secure jobs, and stimulate new activity and job creation.