Rieber & Søn’s history

1839 Paul Gottlieb Rieber sets up a trading company and vinegar factory in Bergen.

1933 Rieber & Søn ventures further into the food industry with substitute coffee.

1946 Toro stock cubes are launched, marking the basis of what was to become one of Norway’s strongest brands.

1964 Bergen Fish Soup is launched, marking the start of a new epoch in Toro’s history.

1985 Denja, a salad producer since the 1950s, is acquired.

1987 Rieber & Søn, the building materials company Jacob Neumann and Nodest Industrier decide to merge. Following the merger Rieber & Søn is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

1989 Rieber & Søn acquires Bøe Lefsebakeri AS and the Vestlandslfsa brand.

1990 Vossafår is acquired.

1991 Denja gains access to the Swedish market through the acquisition of Salladstmästeren.

1992 Rieber & Søn’s involvement in Central and Eastern Europe starts with the acquisition of Vitana in the Czech Republic.

1996 Delecta, the Polish food company, is acquired. Mr. Lee becomes a part of Rieber & Søn. Norway Foods, with the King Oscar brand, is acquired.

1997 Denja takes over the Danish salad and onion producer Dacapo. Bask and Emarko in the Czech Republic are acquired and co-ordinated with Vitana.

1998 Big Fish in Poland and the Norwegian company Alamar, both of which produce tinned seafood, are acquired and integrated with King Oscar.

2000 After 161 years, Rieber & Søn decides to abandon the conglomerate model and instead focus solely on food. Anja Cake is acquired and integrated with Delecta. Chaka, a producer of snacks and peanuts in Russia, is acquired.

2002 Danisco’s onion factory in the Netherlands is taken over. Establishment of the Cronions business unit. The King Oscar brand celebrates its 100th anniversary.

2003 Rieber & Søn Food Service and Rieber Food Ingredients are established as business units.

Acquisition and integration of Nopal AS, including the brands Black Boy, Ming, Geisha, Trondhjems and Sopps.

2004 Acquisition of Mrs Cheng’s, one of Sweden’s leading Asiatic food brands.

2005 The Danish companies K-Salat and Bähncke are acquired and along with Denja make up the new business unit DKB. The acquisitions strengthen Rieber & Søn’s position in the Nordic market.

2006 The Swedish cake producer Frödinge is taken over. Acquisition of the German distributor Puttkammer & Walke and the Dutch onion producer Rijnhout Onion Products. The establishment of activities based on new forms of conservation gives Rieber & Søn a broader platform for further growth. Chilled ready meals are launched in Norway under the Toro Velbekomme brand.

2007 Rieber & Søn continues its activities involving new conservation forms. Frozen cakes are launched on the Norwegian market. Velbekomme is launched in Denmark. The business unit Export Western Europe is established.

2008 The “Future” programme starts up to ensure that Rieber & Søn achieves long-lasting operational improvements and higher profitability

2009 Rieber & Søn sells King Oscar in line with the plan to prioritise core business

2011 Rieber & Søn acquires Lierne Bakery,Norway’s leading producer of griddle cakes and party cakes for the grocery and catering market.