Odd Gleditsch Sr.
Odd Gleditsch Sr.(2 October 1894 – 17 January 1990) was a Norwegian business entrepreneur. The founder of the paint companyJotun.He was CEO of the company from 1926 to 1967.
Personal life[edit]
Gleditsch was born inSandefjordinVestfold,Norway. He was a son of whaler Einar S. Gleditsch (1862–1913) and Maren Olea Kverne (1862–1933).[1]He was a second cousin ofRolf,Ellen,KristianandHenry Gleditsch,and a first cousin once removed ofKristen Gran GleditschandJens Gran Gleditsch.[2]He was the second cousin ofEllen Gleditsch,radiochemistand Norway's second female professor andKristian Gleditsch.[3]
In 1921 he married merchant's daughters Fanny Vibetoe (1900–1973).[1]His sonOdd Gleditsch Jr.took over the company leadership in Jotun, retiring as CEO in 1979.[4]
Career[edit]
After finishing middle school he spent six seasons as awhalerin theSouthern Ocean.[1]Whaling was the foremost business in his hometown Sandefjord.[5]However, duringWorld War Istock market speculation became more lucrative. Gleditsch tried his luck from 1916, but the market crashed in 1918. In 1920 he opened shop as a colourman and seller of ship equipment. In 1926 he saw an opportunity to manufacture the paint he sold, as he took over the Jotun factory fromJohan Bryde.The factory had gone bankrupt in 1925, but was now resurrected under the nameJotun Kemiske Fabrik.[1]
In 1931,chemical engineerDr. Manfred Ragg developed an anti-corrosive, rust-inhibiting product. Gleditsch purchased the patent rights to the product and Jotun introducedArcanolas a reliable marine coatings principally for shipowners. This started the upward trend for Jotun.[6][7][8][9]
The company opened a research laboratory in 1950, and expanded with factories in theKingdom of Libyain 1962 andThailandin 1967. In 1967 Odd Gleditsch Jr. became CEO. Gleditsch Sr. continued as a board member until 1971.[1]In 1972, through a merger, Jotun Kemiske Fabrik changed its name to Jotun.[10]
Gleditsch was also a board member of theFederation of Norwegian IndustriesandFramnæs Mekaniske Værksted,chairman ofPrivatbanken i Sandefjordand the supervisory board ofA/S Kosmos,and honorary member of theNorwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers.In 1965 he was decorated as a Knight, First Class of theRoyal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.He died in January 1990 at Sandefjord.[1]
References[edit]
- ^abcdefBryn, Torstein."Odd Gleditsch".InHelle, Knut(ed.).Norsk biografisk leksikon(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved7 July2009.
- ^Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007)."Gleditsch".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved7 July2009.
- ^Bratberg, Terje (2022-08-31),"Gleditsch",Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian),retrieved2022-12-16
- ^Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007)."Odd, Gleditsch Jr.".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved7 July2009.
- ^Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007)."Sandefjord".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget.Retrieved7 July2009.
- ^"Anticorrosive paint".free patents on line.RetrievedJuly 1,2017.
- ^"A History of Adaptability"(PDF).Jotun Annual Report, page 20. 2006.RetrievedJuly 1,2017.
- ^"Arcanol: grunnlag for suksess".Jotun.RetrievedJuly 1,2017.
- ^"Alphonse Friedrich Manfred Ragg. Process for the production of noncorrosive paint pigments".United States Patent Office. September 4, 1929.RetrievedJuly 1,2017.
- ^Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007)."Jotun A/S".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Archived fromthe originalon 23 October 2012.Retrieved7 July2009.