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Norsk Hydro

Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian manufacturing and oil company, headquartered in Oslo. The company was founded on February 12, 1905 by Kristian Birkeland and engineer Sam Eyde. Their first factory was build at Notodden and they followed up with another at Rjukan, Tinn.

The company has interests in a number of oil and gas installations. Other business areas are the production of fertilizer, aluminium, magnesium and pharmaceuticals. The Norwegian state owns a controlling (51%) interest in the company. Norsk Hydro has factories in the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Germany in addition to Norway. In 1994, the company established as a joint venture with Norsk Texaco a chain of gas stations named Hydro/Texaco. There are total of 38,271 employees. From 2001, Eivind Reiten has been the CEO. Norsk Hydro has a controlling share of over 90% of the stocks in Saga Petroleum ASA.

During the Second World War the Rjukan plant was the only location in Europe which produced heavy water, and consequently was the target of several commando and air raids which eventually resulted in the plant's destruction and later reconstruction. (This story was portrayed in the Kirk Douglas movie Heroes of Telemark).

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