Tofte is a village near the southern tip of the Hurum peninsula, and its story is almost entirely about one factory.
Aktieselskabet Tofte Cellulosefabrik was founded in 1897 by entrepreneur Anthon B. Nilsen and began producing bleached sulphite cellulose in 1899. The factory used local timber, the Tofteelva river for power, and the fjord for shipping. It grew to become one of the largest cellulose factories in Norway, producing 90,000 tons annually by the 1970s.
The factory shaped everything here. Workers moved in, houses were built, a community grew around the smokestacks. In 2000, Norske Skog sold it to the Swedish company Södra Cell. They struggled with profitability and shut down production in 2013. Over a century of industry, gone. Statkraft bought the site in 2014 and turned it into a business park for sustainable industries.
Aktieselskabet Tofte Cellulosefabrik was founded in 1897 by entrepreneur Anthon B. Nilsen and began producing bleached sulphite cellulose in 1899. The factory used local timber, the Tofteelva river for power, and the fjord for shipping. It grew to become one of the largest cellulose factories in Norway, producing 90,000 tons annually by the 1970s.
The factory shaped everything here. Workers moved in, houses were built, a community grew around the smokestacks. In 2000, Norske Skog sold it to the Swedish company Södra Cell. They struggled with profitability and shut down production in 2013. Over a century of industry, gone. Statkraft bought the site in 2014 and turned it into a business park for sustainable industries.