"Månedsløytnant", timber merchant and shipowner Peder Soeberg (died 1863) came to Sandefjord in 1807 to join the coast guard. In the autumn of 1808, he conquered a Swedish and a British ship outside Vallø. He purchased one of these from the government and settled down in Sandefjord as a ship owner and businessman. In 1826, he started building ships at "Søebergverven" which was located northeast of the former boiler shop at "A/S Framnæs mek Værksted", with the building berth pointing northwest where the biggest floating dock used to be. The shipyard’s tug M/S David was the last ship launched from this building berth in 1930. In the same year that Peder Søeberg leased this site, he also bought "Stubbverven".