Overview of the factory in Lillehammer made by city architect Fr. Pettersen in 1927.
Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik was founded in 1887 as a commission spinner and called Gudbrandsdalens Uldspinderi (woolen spinners). This was a humble enterprise in the beginning situated below the Mesna waterfalls but soon grew to become a corner stone company in the town and an important contributor on a national basis. The founder Bernt Otto Johnsen was an ambitious man and put a lot of his energy into the business but also lay preacher.
By 1898 the mill had become a fully vertically integrated woollen mill and it changed its name to Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik. The company was sold to Andreas Rasmus Svarstad in 1912 and is today owned and run by the fourth generation Svarstad.
The first machines comprised a blending machine, two woollen cards and two self acting mule spinning machines. These machines processed the wool from local farmers who wanted yarn spun for their home weaving. In 1895 the mill was expanded to also include weaving and dyeing and finishing of cloth. Soon many different qualities of apparel fabrics and woollen rugs were produced in addition to commission spun yarns. In both 1897 and 1898 the company was awarded national based medals for the good quality fabrics it produced.
In 1914 a shift was implemented changing the power source from direct water drive to hydro electric drive of the machines. The scale of investments in buildings and machinery during Andreas R Svarstad time is impressive. The result was an increase in volume, number of employees and turnover. During the nineteen twenties both women and men’s fine apparel fabrics became an important part of the fabric collection and in the thirties women’s outerwear fabrics grew to become substantial. The mill outlet shop could offer cloth for women’s dresses, shawls and knitting and weaving yarns. In 1925 the mill started making upholstery fabrics and in 1939 established a net of agents in Norway in addition to a travelling salesman. The raw material was Norwegian wool, but imported wool was used towards the end of the thirties.
In 1950 the production was primarily aimed at the apparel industry and within this, specifically the women’s part. The company, however, started focusing more and more on upholstery fabrics. High quality, good design and reliable deliveries became the hallmark also for this new part of the business. In 1964 s shift was made to source the wool from New Zealand. This wool could be delivered with lower vegetable matter content and of a more even quality. The price would be the same because of Norwegian produced wools following international auction price levels as other commodities do.
In 1966 the production of apparel fabrics, apart from those for the national costume sector, and rugs was halted. Rugs were discontinued shortly afterwards. A sales office in Oslo was opened in 1972.
Today Gudbrandsdalens is one of the leading manufacturers in Scandinavia. We have exploited and developed all the wonderful properties of wool. In depth knowledge of wool through all the stages from wool growing to finished fabric has given us a leading position in the market. Our upholstery fabrics are renowned for their exceptional quality. Tradition, knowledge and the talent to adapt to changing market demands are imprinted in our history. We have never halted, but found new challenges and exploited the possibilities. The processes required from raw material through to finished products have basically not changed significantly. Machines, technology and also very much the performance of the fabrics have, however, been greatly improved. Our designs are a perfect example of development; form and colour are inspired by our past history, the present time and expectations of tomorrow. We employ in-house designers and cooperate with free-lance designers creating new collections and helping customers with unique designs.