CHRONOLOGY OF GANDDAL

BRIEF STORY ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY IN SANDNES

VIEW OF FACTORIES IN SANDNES, AROUND 1850

At the large and powerful Viking Age farms at Sorbo and Hove, the first communal mills was built. The landscape in Sandnes in general with small hills and rivers was an important background for industry and the urban development. Particularly, the Storana river between Gands Fjord and the Stokkeland Lake was the source for hydropower (overshot water wheel) to run the mill and later industry.

FIRST COMMUNAL WATER WHEEL MILLS 1668 AD

SKETCH OF MILL AT GANDDAL, AROUND 1668 AD

The first plans in Sandnes for industry and large scale production for sale of products started. In 1783 plans initiated for a site excavating the local clay.

With time, this developed into the strongest industry from Sandnes. Pottery objects and rooftiles called ”Sandnespanne”. Many houses in Norway are still cladded with rooftiles from Sandnes and Ganddal.

FIRST PLANS FOR CLAY HARVEST AND POTTERY PRODUCTION

1783 AD

HARVESTING CLAY FROM GROUND IN SANDNES

The general landscape and riverscape of Sandnes was a potential for development. Specifically the Storana river was an important source for hydropower. Overshot mills milled wheat, oat, rye, barley, bark from trees and animal bones.

With small ponds and a proven service for all-year service, mills with favorable landscape situation prevailed over handmills or farmplaced mills with only seasonal strong riverflow/hydropower (autumnal rains and snow melting in spring time). From 1910 the mills were electrified with turbins and further centralization took place.

At most, 75% of oatmeal in Norway was milled in Sandnes.

FIRST MILL SERVICES AT GANDDAL AND SANDNES 1800s AD

DETAIL PHOTO OF HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS AT MILL

CARPENTER SERVICES AND WOODWORKS START 1800a AD

Connected to the farms communicating and trading in towns, local carpenter serviced started to flourish. Local companies started and also woodworks delivering products from woods to build houses.

The tradition of building by hand was helped with machinery and urban trade.

DETAIL PHOTO OF HORIZONTAL WATER WHEELS AT MILL OLD CARPENTER TOOLS

PRESERVATION AND REPAIRS FOR HERRING FISHERIES

As well as servicing the farms and local citizens, the strong connection to the sea and fisheries demanded services from carpenters and other woodworkers.

The fresh fished herring needed to be preserved in barrels - and they had to made by someone. Also, the ships and boats mainly wooden by this time - the ships and boats needed repairs.

1808 AD

WOODEN BARREL

1808 AD TEXTILE INDUSTRY STARTS IN SANDNES

Another branch of commerce that flourished in Sandnes - was the textile production, mainly based on yarn and the processing of it into clothes.

1850s AD

TEXTILE WORKER, 1970s

LOCAL SHIPPING INDUSTRY FLOURISHES

In Sandnes and at Ganddal, the carpenters and woodworkers also developed commercially to help the local shipping industry.

Some became boat builders in the wharfs along the fjord, some made sails or repaired fish nets.

Several companies also started making big money on owning and renting out ships.

1860s AD

SEASIDE VIEW OF NORESTRAEN, SANDNES

INITIATING THE AASE MILL AND WOODWORKS

In Sandnes and at Ganddal, the carpenters and woodworkers also developed commercially to help the local shipping industry.

Some became boat builders in the wharfs along the fjord, some made sails or repaired fish nets.

Several companies also started making big money on owning and renting out ships.

1866 AD

STREETVIEW OF MONUMENT, AASE WOODWORKS

STARTING OF GANDDAL TECHNICAL FACTORY

When the Ganddal technical factory was started - an entrepreneurial spirit until present times started. 19 companies started then and Ganddal developed into the 3rd biggest furniture production in Norway. In the 1950s, 11 factories was up-and-running at Ganddal.

This all started around the Ganddal technical factory. It was started by the local Peder O. ”Krobar” Løvaas, he was a follower of a free-religious movement called Haugianere. They emphasized strongly personal initiatives and physical work.

The list of factories from Ganddal area:- Ganddal Møbelfabrikk (1919-1985)- Handeland Møbelfabrikk (1920-1948)- Sola Møbelfabrikk (1936-1981)- Bjuland Møbelfabrikk (1942-1958)- Byberg Møbelfabrikk (1946-1993)- Skjæveland Møbelfabrikk (1946-1966)- Trekløver Møbelfabrikk (1948-1992)

In 2007 the proud carpenter legacy of Ganddal was restarted. The company Tjerand Fine Furniture now uses central Ganddal as a showroom and workshop for products and furniture solutions.

1876 AD

ILLUSTRATION, WOODWORKING

RISE OF SANDNES BIKE INDUSTRY

Another great industrial adventure from Sandnes is the bike production. A 12 year old boy came with the motto ”the best bike” (Den Beste Sykkel) and the production reached most Norwegians. After first importing German Hengstberg bikes the local man Jonas Øglænd started a bike factory in downtown Sandnes in 1906.

In the late 1960s it was decided that a new factory building needed to be built. In 1972 a large bike factory opened at Ganddal. The production of bikes stopped at Sandnes in late 1990s but the marketing and direction of the company still happens in Sandnes.

1892 AD

BIKING IN DOWNTOWN SANDNES AND BIKE FACTORY AT GANDDAL