Business and industry in Norway - Mineral products

Mineral products are often divided into three main categories: glass and glassware; ceramic products; and other mineral products. These are to a large extent manufactured in small, traditionally run, craft companies.

The manufacture of mineral products for the construction industry includes Leca blocks and other Leca components, insulation materials, tiles, cement, ready-mixed concrete, concrete goods and lime. The Leca concept is a Norwegian invention. In order to be less dependent on the Norwegian construction market, the construction-goods manufacturing industry has focused on Scandinavia and Europe over the past few years.

Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik AS is a large, traditional manufacturer of vitreous sanitary ware and tableware. Some of its work is still carried out in the same way as when the company started up in 1887. Hadeland Glassverk AS and Magnor Glassverk AS are two major glassware manufacturers that are renowned for their good design. Both manufacture hand-made crystal goods.

The European cement industry is currently undergoing restructuring in that large companies are strengthening their positions through acquisitions and mergers across national boundaries. Norcem AS, which is Norway’s only cement manufacturer, merged with Aker back in the mid-1980s. This company then merged its cement and construction-goods operations with Sweden’s Euroc in 1996 and changed its name to Scancem. Scancem has now been sold to Heidelberger Zement, a German company..

The gross product here is based on the value added included in the industry statistics. Back >