![Olav Kavli](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Olav_Kavli.jpg)
Olav Kavli (7 January 1872 – 22 September 1958) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
business man who founded the
Kavli
Kavli () is a Norwegian brand of soft cheese, caviar, mayonnaise, crackers and milk. The company sells products in 30 countries, with plants in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, England and Scotland.
In 1914, Olav Kavli founded Kavli Holdin ...
company.
Biography
Ole Knudsen Kavli was born at Årø in Bolsøy (now
Molde
Molde () is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord.
The administrative centre of t ...
) in
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is the ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. He was the son of Knut Andreas Olsen and his wife Anne Jensdatter Stavem. Kavli grew up on Ytre Årø, a small farm east of Molde. As an 18-year-old he went to
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
, where he took trade school courses.
As a 21-year-old in 1893, he established a
delicatessen
Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the m ...
in Bergen. He soon established connections with trade with the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
with trade to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1910. He founded Kavli Holding A/S at
Sandnes
Sandnes () is a city and municipality in Rogaland, Norway. It lies immediately south of Stavanger, the 4th largest city in Norway and together, the Stavanger/Sandnes area is the third-largest urban area in Norway. The urban city of Sandnes lies ...
in 1914. Just before the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Kavli began to produce more of the goods including both canned and cheeses.
The major breakthrough came in 1924 when he succeeded at creating the world's first durable soft cheese (''smelteost'') with a long shelf life. He named it after the first flowers of spring,
Primula
''Primula'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose ('' P. vulgaris''), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are '' P. auricula'' (auricula), '' P. veris'' (cow ...
. By the 1930s, Primula cheese was exported to over 30 countries, with the United States the main market. Kavli spent much of his career travelling worldwide in promotion of his products.
Kavli was married in 1895 to Anna Magdalene Michelsen (1862-1941). He was the father of Knut Olavsen Kavli and Signe Olavsdatter Kavli.
His autobiography ''Med ost i kofferten'' was published in 1946. He died in Bergen in 1958 and was succeeded as corporate executive by his son, Knut Kavli (1895-1965) .
See also
*
Kavli Trust
{{Infobox company
, name = O. Kavli og Knut Kavlis Almennyttige Fond
, logo = Kavli dairy logo.png
, type = Foundation
, foundation = 1890
, location = Bergen, Norway
, key_people =
, area_served =
, industry = Food
, products =
, rev ...
References
Norwegian company founders
1872 births
1958 deaths
People from Molde
Kavli
{{norway-business-bio-stub