A brand like no other
Dale's premium outdoor apparel appealed to Norwegians and tourists alike but was hit hard when Covid shut down travel.
Dale of Norway’s clothes have been designed and knitted in the hamlet of Dale since 1879, when the local Bergsdal river was recognized as an everlasting source of energy and used to power the first Dale factory.
Herman Korsgaard, Director, Altor”Dale’s amazing quality is in a league of its own. There are Dale clothes from the 1920s that still are functional and wearable today.”
The brand has been built ever since with a relentless focus on innovation and quality. The ongoing connection to successful Norwegian national teams in World Championships and Olympics have helped to build an international reputation.
When Altor partnered with Dale of Norway, the majority of the sales were in Norway. Customers were Norwegians and international tourists wanting to bring a part of Norway with them home. But the tourist market dried up fast when covid shut down international travel in 2020.
“We lost a big part of sales in a short amount of time and had to make decisions fast”, says Herman Korsgaard, Director at Altor, “the most important thing for us was to keep the company running whatever happened. We did not allow any short-term savings, losing competence or experienced workers would set us back for years. It was also important for us to honor the important sponsoring contracts with Norway’s winter sports teams. Our support for them is what has built our reputation, and that needed to keep going”.
Thanks to very hard work from everyone involved, the company did not only survive covid-19, but came out stronger, for instance by expanding through the acquisition of a children’s clothing company.
And now the company is set out to expand globally.
“Apart from tourists looking for a Norwegian memory our customers are fashion forward outdoorsy types. These customers are to be found all over the world. Therefore, we are expanding fast in both Germany and the US.”, Herman Korsgaard continues.
Whilst the strategy has evolved and been sharpened thanks to the Covid-crisis, the recipe going forward is the same as it was when the company started for more than hundred years ago, making the absolute best quality clothes out there. When fast fashion is increasingly questioned, quality clothes that lasts over generations like Dale are here to stay.
Published: Aug 02 2022
Companies
Related
Conversation | Case
A network for Scandinavian design driven brands
Scandinavian design graces homes all over the world. Now Altor has formed a network of such companies under one umbrella: Network of Design (NOD). But, as always, the story started somewhere completely different.
Conversation | Case
All about connecting
The Nordic Leisure Travel Group: Everyone on board to change.
Conversation | Case
The power of the sun
Founded on a strong belief that solar power is the best solution for most homes, Svea Solar has quickly proven the power of the sun and is ready for the next step on their journey.
Conversation | Case
Happier and healthier people
SATS, stepping up for health with challenges brought on by modern society.
Conversation | Case
Slow fashion – fast growth
Toteme was founded in 2014 by the Swedish couple Elin Kling and Karl Lindman. It has evolved into a strong and iconic Swedish brand focused on minimalistic trans-seasonal design based on a uniform concept.
Conversation | Case
In the mood
Located in a music studio complex in the heart of Stockholm, Audiowell comes with a combined mission to increase the quality of lifestyle music and helping more professional songwriters, musicians and creators live off their music.
Conversation | Case
Turning ordinary tap water into tasteful experiences
Starting out as an engineering and design company aiming to make everyday objects better and more beautiful, Aarke is now embarking on a journey towards a greener future with a new subscription service at its core.
Conversation | Case
Breaking the glass-ceiling
The Stockholm Stock Exchange was founded in 1863, but the first female CEO of a listed company emerged first in 1987. The first female founder taking her company public as CEO took even longer, in 2021 Pernilla Nyrensten received that title.
Conversation | Case
A community of fun-dining experiences
We can all use more social life. And the trends points to people eating out more often and at the same time enjoying entertainment and activities. Now Altor has created a community of restaurants in Social Eatertainment Group.
Conversation | Case
Charged for the future
CTEK – building the necessary charging infrastructure.
Conversation | Case
Revolutionizing the steel industry
How digitalization will enable completely different ways of working in steelmaking
Conversation | Case
An innovative partnership
Transcom enters collaboration with Silo AI to implement the opportunities of AI in the digital customer service industry.
News | Press release
18 Oct 2023
Altor invests in Aira
Conversation | Case
Fast internet with a smart footprint
SeenThis has developed technical solutions to help tackle the issue of carbon emissions coming from our data usage.
Conversation | Case
Trioworld doesn’t sleep on success
In a new collaboration with infrastructure company Nevel - Trioworld is turning waste heat into energy
Conversation | Case
Driving success
The leading tyre distributor Nordic Tyre Group reports strong growth accelerated by Electrical Vehicle transition.
Conversation | Our team
A year like no other
Altor has made a number of investments and partnerships with successful brands across the consumer sector. We sat down with our Consumer-sector team to hear their thoughts on 2022 and what they believe 2023 will bring.
Conversation | Spotlight
Meet Susanna Campbell
The Altor community is built by partner companies and the people in- and outside of Altor. One of them is industry advisor Susanna Campbell, Board Member of H2 Green Steel and Chair of the Board at NOD.
Conversation | Perspective
Building the green transition
We can’t be dependent on fossil fuels in the future. Altor plans to be a part of Europe’s green transition, driving an industrial revolution and helping the whole continent decarbonize.
Conversation | Case
OX2 – the wind of change
There is an urgent need to change our habits and energy-use, as society increasingly moves away from high-carbon energy sources - the demand for alternative sources increase. Wind and solar farms are critical for this shift.
Conversation | Spotlight
Meet Paul Fischbein
The Altor community consists of a set of companies and people we collaborate with daily. One of them is industry advisor Paul Fischbein, with a long-standing track record from the consumer space and e-commerce sector.
Conversation | Spotlight
Driving the green energy transition
Watch the interview with Matilda Elfving Hauan, Director, talking about partnering up with Svea Solar and OX2, two companies building new green business within the energy industry.
Conversation | Case
Stronger together
Norican's solutions improve customer productivity by reducing scrap and carbon emissions.
Conversation | Case
Saving resources
Haarslev – making sure what goes around comes around.
Conversation | Case
Making plastics last
Trioworld is on its way to becoming the most sustainable option in the plastic film industry thanks to a strong focus on circularity in plastics.
Conversation | Perspective
Ten years later, still going strong
Helly Hansen was Altor’s first investment in the Consumer sector. A company part of the Norwegian heritage. During our nine years of partnership, the brand reconnected with its roots, the product portfolio improving every season and the operation developed a world class apparel company.
Conversation | Case
Partnering with two German Mittelstand families
Our long tradition of partnerships with founding families continues into new geographies. Kaefer has an amazing track-record for more than 100 years, now Altor and SMS Group join as co-owners.
Conversation | Case
The peace of mind business
Automating Accounts Payable may sound like a simple fix. But building digital solution and services that fit the customers' needs, and are easy to use, demands knowledge of both software and people.
Conversation | Case
Shaping airflow for future generations
Inspired by the first plastic cooling fan he ever saw, Finn Sigurd Andersen started a journey taking a local Danish trading company and turning it into a global leader in engine cooling, with a wide range of products.
Conversation | Case
Supplying the supply chain
Starting out small in Aalborg, Denmark in the early 1950’s – Wrist Ship Supply has grown to become a true global leader with offices across the globe. Today, Wrist is creating digital solutions previously unknown to the shipping world.
Conversation | Case
Raw talent
Can, what looks like a traditional PE-fund, be a partner for a young indie-developer producing the most artistically inspired games out there? The owners of Raw Fury thought so and partnered up with Altor for the next step of their journey.
Conversation | Case
Never ending energy
Sailing on strong tailwinds, OX2 has taken on one of the great challenges of our time. To make renewable energy available while generating benefits for both environment and investors.
Conversation | Case
Bringing torque to the tyre industry
Building an international platform for the tyre distribution industry might not sound like the most exciting journey. But bear with us, this story is about how a shift in software development and transportation revolutionized everything.
Conversation | Case
Accelerating human-machine collaboration
Looking to build an artificial intelligence powerhouse in the Nordics, Altor found a company already holding the title. And through a new partnership, Silo AI and Altor will take their cutting-edge technologies even further.
Conversation | Case
Taking action when needed
When Covid hit, at a time when hospitals needed them the most, global supply chains for medical protective gear stopped working. Trioworld stepped up quickly and filled one important gap. But have we learned the lessons from this situation?
Conversation | Case
AI as the engine for growth
Meltwater was the world’s first pure online media monitoring company. But since inception in 2001 the information landscape has changed radically, with social media often having larger impact than the original source.
Conversation | Case
Being smart about data usage
Speeding up the internet with a low carbon footprint in mind.
News | Press release
21 Jun 2022
Altor invests in smart energy platform Tibber
News | Press release
25 May 2022
Altor enters an equal partnership with the founders of Audiowell
What we’re reading
News | Bloomberg
06 Jan 2024 — bloomberg.com
The $200 Billion Video Game Industry Is a Climate Opportunity
News | The Economist
17 Dec 2023 — economist.com
Which economy did best in 2023?
News | Bloomberg
04 Aug 2023 — bloomberg.com
Heat Pumps, Electric Cars, Home Solar:
The Climate Dads Have Arrived
News | Bloomberg
25 May 2023 — bloomberg.com
How Silicon Valley Got Into Investing in Climate Tech