ABOUT US

Fenner Mandals AS is today part of the Michelin Group and has become a leading manufacturer of flexible lay-flat hoses for a wide range of industries and applications worldwide.

Fenner Mandals AS supports the global market by providing high-quality products, taylormade to the customers’ requirements, which perform at the highest operational level in a cost effective manner, whilst contributing to improved HSE and environmental performance for our valued customers.

The production of hoses started in 1927 and from about 1935 the hoses was produced using the inhouse invented circular looms. In 1940 the factory was completely destroyed by a fire, but only after a couple of year a new factory was built and in operation again. Since then there has been a strong focus on research and development and Fenner Mandals AS delivers today a variety of hoses, used within multiple industries and applications worldwide.

HISTORY

18TH & 19TH
CENTURY

PRODUCTION OF ROPES ​

Mandals was established in 1775 under the name Mandals Reberbane. In those days Norway was ruled by Denmark, thus it was the Danish king who approved the establishment of the company. Norway broke free from Denmark in 1814, only to end up in a union with Sweden until 1905. All the while business at Mandals was uninterrupted.

Back in the 18th century the city of Mandal, located at the southern tip of Norway, was a busy international port. All the sailing vessels of course needed lots of ropes, and this was the basis for the foundation of the company. Ropes remained the sole product for almost one hundred and fifty years, and not until 1922 did fire hoses become a supplementary product to the ropes.

20TH
CENTURY

HOSES & WEAVING LOOMS ​

After several changes in ownership, the two Christiansen brothers took over the company in 1927. Weaving looms were needed in the hose production, resulting in the development of the first Mandals Circular Weaving Loom. Development of these renowned weaving looms is ongoing, since 2008 through our sister company Mandals Technology AS.

Mandals continued the product development also of hoses, and became innovators of the lay flat hose. The “extrusion through the weave” technology was implemented at an early stage, and is still vital to the company.

In 1970 Hans Christiansen took over the ownership from his father and uncle, while the remaining rope production was sold. The focus since then has been various types of hoses and also circular weaving looms. The company became known worldwide as Mandals.
Reberbane Christiansen & Co. AS

21TH
CENTURY

EXTRUSION THROUGH THE WEAVE

The “extrusion through the weave” technology was at first only applying nitrile rubber, but in the 1980’s Mandals also developed hoses extruded with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). These are much more complicated products, but Mandals has successfully developed this business over time, and has high ambitions in this field.
In 2004, Hans Christiansen – a “grown up” man at 75 years – sold the company to three local investors:

The Mosvold family, Rune Iversen and Øyvind Berntsen. The old company name “Mandals Reberbane Christiansen & Co. AS” was thus replaced with the internationally known brand name of the company “Mandals”, and a new company logo was developed.

Mandals is now through its first 235 years, and with great respect for the history we are very motivated to go on for another 235. The ambition is to further develop Mandals both in the circular weaving loom area and the lay flat hose area – as of 2008 split into two separate sister companies.

On Sept. 3rd 2012 Fenner PLC, a FTSE 250 company listed on the London Stock Exchange, bought 100% of Mandals AS, including the subsidiaries Svenska Brandslangfabriken AB and Mandals Technology AS. The acquisition took place through Fenner’s subsidiary Fenner Norway AS.

Since 2019, Fenner Mandals AS has been part of the Michelin group, through a acquisition of the Fenner Group by the Michelin group.

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