Centenary celebration is a ‘Perfekt’ testimony to NorDan success

Having started its life in a small Norwegian village in 1926, NorDan is now one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of aluminium-clad timber windows and doors. With people, partnerships and values the reasons behind the company’s century of success, it welcomed group management, representatives of the owning family, partners and customers to a celebration at the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence in London.

Set in the stunning Grade II listed building on Palace Green, home to the Norwegian Ambassador since 1951, the June festivities shone a spotlight on NorDan’s core principle of ‘Perfekt Samspill’, a collaborative, family-like environment that focuses on harmony across all facets of the business.

Originally founded as a small woodworking workshop in Moi, NorDan quickly developed a reputation for quality and craftsmanship. While now a multinational company boasting more than 2,600 employees across Europe, the organisation still maintains the very same long-term thinking and collaborative culture it was renowned for a century ago and remains family-owned by descendants of Johannes and Tøri Rasmussen.

Perfekt Samspill has been a strong foundation for continued growth in the UK and internationally, something Johannes Rasmussen, Marketing Director of NorDan Gruppen, was keen to stress. He said: “NorDan’s anniversary is about more than history. It is about values, culture and the Perfekt Samspill between people, expertise and markets. It is this interplay that makes us a choice for generations to come.”

Craig Greenwood, Managing Director at NorDan UK, emphasised the reasons for NorDan’s centennial success. He said: “100 years ago, Johannes Rasmussen decided to start a business in a small town called Moi. I doubt he expected that 100 years later, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be celebrating its centenary in a beautiful Embassy in London.

“It’s a fantastic accolade and is testimony to NorDan’s long-term mindset. They don’t think about the next quarter; they think about the next generation.”

Sustainability, long-term thinking, quality and performance shaped the conversation throughout the evening creating an ideal opportunity for dialogue and networking between Norwegian and British colleagues. In his speech to guests, Dag Kroslid, CEO of NorDan Gruppen, underlined the importance of the British market.

He said: “Today, the UK is NorDan’s second-largest market and the most important market outside Norway. NorDan has developed its business in close collaboration with British customers and partners, and the experience gained here has been crucial for the group’s growth, innovation and position in Europe.

“NorDan would not be the company we are today without our operations in the UK. As we celebrate 100 years in 2026, it is both about being proud of what we have built together and about looking ahead, in close collaboration with our customers and partners.”

The event formed part of NorDan's wider centenary celebrations, with a series of activities taking place in Norway and internationally throughout the rest of 2026, including the opening of a new showroom, museum, facility upgrades, sporting events, and other festivities with customers and partners.

For NorDan, commemorating the centenary is as much about acknowledging the past as it is looking to the future. While it has prided itself on continual investment and growth during its century of operation, it is heavily focused on the next stage of its journey. Its recent acquisitions of Performance Doorset Solutions (PDS), Esk Glazing and RED Systems have further expanded its capabilities and laid the groundwork for it to be a leading supplier across the wider building envelope sector in the near future.