Our history
The prerequisite for Ifö’s operations was created some 60 million years ago. The rich animal life that existed on and around the island of Ivön at that time resulted in considerable amounts of lime deposits that functioned as efficient protection of the china clay (or kaolin) naturally present on the island. Already in the Bronze Age there was some pottery production based on this very clay in Bromölla. To find the roots of our own business operations, however, we have to advance to 1887 when the Danish veterinary William Abelgaard Nielsen set up his quarry for limestone and kaolin on the island.
Some important milestones:
1887 - The quarry for limestone and kaolin starts.
1936 – The production of toilets starts.
1967 – Ifö becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Skånska Cement, which later became the Euroc Group.
1969 – The Mörrum plant is acquired by the Euroc Group. By that time, stainless steel sinks and other kitchen appliances had been manufactured in Mörrum since the early 1960s.
1976 – Ifö’s operations were reorganised within the Euroc group, and the Bromölla plant was renamed to Ifö Sanitär whereas the Mörrum operations became Ifö Kampri.
1981 - Ifö Sanitär was given its present structure, as the two companies merged.
1982 – Ifö Sanitär was acquired by the Finnish Wärtsilä Group.
1990 – The Wärtsilä Group reorganised its operations to concentrate all sanitary operations in the subsidiary Sanitec.
In 1999, Sanitec Oy was listed on the Helsingfors Stock Exchange, only to be acquired by the Finnish corporation Pool Acquisition in 2001.
In 2002 the two companies merged, to form the present Sanitec Corporation. As a result, Ifö Sanitär is today part of a company group that is number one on the European sanitary market.
In April 2005 Sanitec Corp was aquired by EQT.
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