Christian Berner Invest

1 October 1897 Christian Berner opened his office at Magasinsgatan 10 in Gothenburg.

Pilsner beer or soda

Christian Berner boil kettles at the brewery Coope & Allsopp

Christian Berner gave us our daily milk

Miss Great Britain (Mrs. Gillian Taylor) poses on a Dawson-Berner 45 tap machine at the A. Heald Ltd. dairy in Didisbury

The bestseller Sylomer for vibration and sound isolation

Classic packaging from the ´90s

OY Lautex AB delivers ceilings for cruise ships

Vår historia ///////

The history of Christian Berner dates back more than 110 years. In 1897 the then 20 year old Norwegian Christian Berner started his trading company in Gothenburg. He rented two small rooms on the corner of Magasinsgatan 10. He commented briefly on his start: “On October first I went to my office, sat down on a chair and business was opened”.

He always thought it fortunate that he was tall and had a mustache, attributes that gave him the air of authority and confidence he needed to do business in spite of his young age. The fact is that he was not even a legal adult when he founded his business and therefore he needed help from a law firm to solve certain administrative problems.

The first engineer was hired in 1903. Right from the start the comfort and security of employees was very important and the first retirement fund was started in 1916.

Porter, lager and alcohol

Throughout the years Christian Berner has been involved in a number of technical operations, in the Nordic region and in the rest of the world. An important order came from the Carnegie Porter brewery, who in 1903 ordered Europe’s largest filter vat. For a long time the brewery business was the foundation of Christian Berner AB’s business. In 1955 we sold the largest boil kettles in the world at that time to Great Britain. In 1964 we made a large delivery of malt turners to Brasseries Artois in Belgium.

The company has also delivered technical equipment to Vin- och Spritcentralen since 1927.

Milk has always made us strong

In the 1940s we were the dominate supplier to the dairy business. In 1963 we displayed, together with the English company Dawson Bros., the world’s largest milk tapping machine at the Dairy Show in London. In 1966, together with Alfa Laval, we received an order for 16 complete milk bottle filling machines for India.

Labels and tablets

In 1953 exhibited at the International Industrial Fair in Hannover for the first time. This was the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation with the packaging industry. At first our cooperation involved filling and labeling machines for the food processing industry and tablet pressing machines for pharmaceuticals.

Landmarks

1897	The company is founded by the then 20 year old Norwegian Christian Berner.
1903	Carnegie Porter brewery orders the then largest filter vat in Europe.
1910	Norwegian subsidiary founded.
1916	The first retirement fund started.
1919	The company logotype is created. It has been adapted and modernised throughout the years, but it is still very close to the first one.
1923	Finnish subsidiary founded.
1924	Danish subsidiary founded.
1927	Start of our own production of brewery machines.
1936	Our first self-produced milk tapping machine.
1947	The Christian Berner firm was listed on the stock exchange. The company co-founds WMB, a registered company dealing with isolation.
1948	Launch of the first combined machine for filling, capping and sealing of milk bottles.
1953	First exhibition at the International Industrial Fair in Hannover.
1955	The then largest boil kettles in the world are sold to Great Britain.
1958	Inauguration of the first chip board production in Sweden. Most of the equipment comes from Christian Berner AB.
1961	We deliver the biggest paper machine of its time to Holmens Bruk in Norrköping.
1964	Large delivery of malt turners to Brasseries Artois in Belgium.
1966	Together with Alfa Laval we receive an order for 16 complete milk bottle filling machines for India.
1972	Christian Berner AB moves its headquarters to Partille.
1983	Christian Berner Invest buys Oy Lautex AB, Finland, which is a suspended metal ceiling manufacturer.
1988	The company receives a major order for 14,000 square metres of the sound and vibration isolation material Sylomer for Södra Station in Stockholm.
1996	Oy Lautex AB’s quality assurance system is certified by Lloyd’s Register.
1997	Christian Berner celebrates its 100th birthday.
2000	Lautex delivers the ceiling for the extension of Vanta, Helsinki International Airport.
2003	Lautex invests in a new powder coating plant in order to maintain their position as leading manufacturers of suspended metal ceilings.
2004	Christian Berner AS in Norway receives a major order for Sylodyn to the new train tunnel between Asker and Sandvika.
2006	The tech trading business is concentrated in Christian Berner Tech Trade.
2007	Lautex OY delivers ceilings to 5,400 cabins in Project Genesis, the world’s largest cruise ship. We receive our largest order yet for ballast matting from Banverket for use in the Tröingeberg Tunnel. Christian Berner Tech Trade buys A-Filter, which creates an eighth business area: Filter Technology. We build and move into new offices in Mölnlycke. We buy Heppt Teknisk Agentur.
2008	Christian Berner Invest is transformed into a global Group. As a part of this reorganisation Håkan Simonsen is recruited from SEB. Christian Berner Tech Trade buys Satron Instruments Process & Miljö AB allowing it to continue its development towards an active investment company within tech trading. We expand our warehouse in Mölnlycke. The property in Helsinki is renovated.
2009	Opening cermony of the new warehouse in Mölnlycke. The property in Vanda is renovated. The headquarters moves to Stora Nygatan. Opening cemony of the new office at Stora Nygatan, Berners Salonger I. Development of a strategy for new investments. Adaption of the organisation due to the economic downturn.