History
Bulk handling equipment since 1962
Customized solutions
Short response time
In-stock screw conveyors
Vågen AS first started in 1991, when we took over the industrial production of Leirvik Sveis. Leirvik Sveis had worked with screw conveyors for use in the sugar and fishing industry since 1962, and with the takeover we had the opportunity to specialize further in this field.
From our head office in Tysnes outside Bergen, we have become a leading supplier in screw conveyors. Today, we have large base of national and international customers, and are constantly growing.
1962
Stord Bartz Industrier AS
Stord Bartz Industrier make fishmeal factories at Storf Verft and Leirvik Sveis, and install them world wide, and on board vessels
1989
Vågen Industrier AS
1990
A/S Seglneset
Vågen takes over production equipment, spare parts inventory and drawings from the production company Leirvik Sveis at Sagvåg (A/S Seglneset)
1991 – Vågen AS is Born
Vågen AS
Vågen AS is eatabelished as the contiuation of Vågen Industrier AS, has acquired the industrial production operations from Leirvik Sveis. This represents a key transition, enabling us to deepen our specialization in screw conveyor technology.
Takeover of machinery and drawings from A/S Snegleneset, and employee, Sven Audun Frugård.
1994
Industrial Network
Vågen AS, 1 of 12 co-founders of Industrinettverket TfS in Sunnhordland (now Atheno)
1996
The First Offshore Contract
The first contract with Procon Engineering / National Oilwell Varco (NOV)
2007
Upscaling
Børge Pedersen is hired as Sales and Marketing Manager following previous collaboration, and also becomes a co-owner in Vågen. After some years he takes on the role as General Manager
2012
Offshore Industry
Vågen is primarily supplying to the Oil & Gas Industry
2013
Pivor
Gisle Mikalsen joins as Sales and Marketing Manager, as well as co-owner and restructure Vågen to reduce dependence on oil & gas industry
2017
Krill
130 meters of screw conveyors delivered to Optimar. A new engineer is hired as design engineer and project manager. Work begins on the development of a vertical screw conveyor
2020
Vågen Express
The Vågen Express concept, standardized off-the-shelf screw conveyors, established during Covid, with an online webstore
2022
Cevia Solutions AS
After several years of Collaboration with Erling Ekrene, Vågen becomes a co-owner of Cevia Solutions AS
2023
Kelp
After 30 years with deliveries to the land based kelp industry, Vågen supply a kelp factory onboard a kelp trawler
2026
Employees
Today, Vågen has eight employees on Tysnes and delivers machinery worldwide.
The History of Vågen – From Herring to System Supplier
Roots: Herring, Steel, and Pioneering Work
The history of Vågen begins on Stord in 1919, when Captain Theodor Onarheim and his brothers established Stord Sildoljefabrikk (Stord Herring Oil Factory). After turbulent years in the 1920s, Sigfinn Bartz‑Johannessen takes over and continues developing the company through innovation and new production methods. On Stord and in Knarrevik, technologies are developed that later shape an entire industry — including the early adoption of centrifuges for more efficient oil extraction.
Leirvik Sveis – Building Technical Expertise
In 1946, Odd P. Bjelland founded Leirvik Sveis, a company that soon became known for producing screw conveyors and silo systems. During the 1960s, operations moved to Seglneset, and Leirvik Sveis turned into a key supplier to Stord Bartz Industries. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, installation teams travelled the world building entire fish‑meal factories — from Arabia to Scotland. This is where the core competence that would later form Vågen was shaped.
Vågen AS – The Start of a Specialized Journey
In 1990, Kjell Arild Lien established Vågen Industrier, and after a brief bankruptcy, the company was re‑established as Vågen AS in 1991. Acquiring the machinery from A/S Seglneset — and hiring Sven Audun Frugård — enabled the company to specialize in screw conveyors and screw presses. Throughout the 1990s, Vågen delivered everything from tailored screw conveyors to fast‑ferry superstructures and special engineering projects.
Downturn – and Strategic Change
In 2003, the market collapsed. Production at Onarheim was shut down, and Lien operated Vågen alone for five years. The turnaround came with a strategic partnership with a factory in Denmark — providing increased capacity and new opportunities. In 2007, Børge Pedersen was hired, and the following year Vågen relocated to Vågsmarka. A new growth phase began.
Major Deliveries and Technical Breakthroughs
From 2007 onwards, Vågen experienced significant growth. A 26‑meter‑long screw conveyor for a project in Egypt became a milestone. Deliveries to around 350 drilling rigs through cooperation with Procon/NOV established the company as a key supplier to the oil‑and‑gas sector — until the oil price crash in 2014. The market fell sharply, forcing Vågen to cut its workforce in half.
At the same time, the company had begun establishing itself in new segments: food processing, process industry, municipal technology, and recycling.
In 2017, Vågen secured its largest order to date: nearly 40 screw conveyors for Aker BioMarine’s krill trawler — including three vertical conveyors many believed were “impossible.” They worked — just two hours before the vessel left the shipyard.
Pandemic, Growth, and New Services
When Norway went into lockdown in 2020, everything stopped — for a few weeks. Then came a record‑breaking year. Vågen launched Vågen Express and an online store for customized screw conveyors with delivery in just a few days. This became a success, especially while international factories were shut down.
The War in Ukraine – New Challenges
Sanctions in 2022 halted major deliveries, and steel prices surged — yet Norwegian customers increasingly turned to domestic suppliers. This shift helped secure continued stable growth and profitability for Vågen.
Vågen Today
Today, Vågen has eight employees on Tysnes and delivers machinery worldwide. Production is carried out through a combination of Norwegian workshops and factories across Europe and Asia. The company’s products are used in:
- seaweed processing
- fish‑meal factories and factory trawlers
- sludge and process‑water dewatering
- recycling and waste management
- the food‑processing industry
- oil and gas
- the water and wastewater sector
The Road Ahead
With increasing demands for sustainability, resource efficiency, and circularity, Vågen is well positioned for the future. The investment in Cevia Solutions in 2022 enables the company to deliver complete processing lines — not just individual machines. The ambition is clear: to be a flexible and knowledgeable partner for demanding process industries, both in Norway and internationally.