Swix in Norway

In 1946, Astra purchased a plant in Lørenskog.  The company commander in Norway, Swede Karl Arne Wegerfelt, inspected the empty premises without electricity. There he met one who repaired the boiler room - Bjørn Kristiansen, a sailor who waited on right. Was he interested in the job? He immediately answered yes.  There were shortages and rationing, and industrial equipment was not readily available. Bjørn Kristiansen visited scrap dealers and found the piece of tube boilers. He straightened bent nails for them. With simple means, he built a machine where eight to nine employees made ​​up 4000 Lubricants daily since 1947. From winter 1948 Swix Norwegian manufactured for sale in Norway. Swix met strong resistance. Many thought it was a brazen Swedish to national sport. Astra's boss in Norway in 1947, Christian Fredrik Kaltenborn felt at times like a traitor. It was not easy to introduce a new product invented in Sweden, although it was made in Norway by Norwegian workers. Matsbo dropped by outlets in Norway and asked for a box of Swix. No, they did not, was the answer, it was Swedish. No one asked for it. Norwegians disliked the Swedes tried to knock out Norwegian brands like Østbye Bratlie and Record. As a countermove organized 18 Norwegian competitors in "Skismøringsfabrikantenes Teams". But the union was short-lived.
Swix 'reputation spread from the top down. Norwegian elite runners began using the wax, and the trend spread to hikers. Instructional film Glide and Grip taught many "Swix".