Tandberg OFF topic......

[tandberg]

Do we need a ''Everything and anything, off topic about Tandberg thread'' ?

I start......

I've heard some histories... One made me laugh so I cried....both beacause of the story, and because he was so funny when he told it to me.

One of the staff...he got a new expensive watch...
Every morning in the production, he was taking a 'round' to look at the productionline, the same time every morning,-hearing the ''timesignal'' at the radio.

( You can listen here, scroll down a little http://www.jakobarvola.com/2010/03/05/tid-til-det-meste/

He raised his wrist and looked very satisfied when the timesignal and the watch were a perfect match. He did this a few mornings....
So....this HAD to happen, the next morning, he showed up in the production hall.... Heard the timesignal on the radio, raised his arm, looked at the watch, an shouted ''WHAT THE *****'' And went to the clock-shop. Of course, nothing wrong with the watch, someone recorded the signal and played it 5 minutes too early !

[RedGrant]

Do we need a ''Everything and anything, off topic about Tandberg thread'' ?


Yes, I would love to.




One of the staff...he got a new expensive watch...


Being a watch connosiuer myself, what kind, and what brand?



Every morning in the production, he was taking a 'round' to look at the productionline, the same time every morning,-hearing the ''timesignal'' at the radio.

( You can listen here, scroll down a little http://www.jakobarvola.com/2010/03/05/tid-til-det-meste/

He raised his wrist and looked very satisfied when the timesignal and the watch were a perfect match. He did this a few mornings....
So....this HAD to happen, the next morning, he showed up in the production hall.... Heard the timesignal on the radio, raised his arm, looked at the watch, an shouted ''WHAT THE *****'' And went to the clock-shop. Of course, nothing wrong with the watch, someone recorded the signal and played it 5 minutes too early !

Had the same experience myself. Being an owner of a mechanical watch (which needs frequent synchronizing, since they tend to be off about 5 seconds a day).

Another lesson of not necessarily always going by whatever 'authority' says.

[tandberg]

Taperecorders from ca 1975 was made here in the factory at Skullerud, Oslo
http://www.mypaper.se/show/elektronikkbransjen/show.asp?pid=345248708565856&initpage=26&did=1

Tandberg went bancrupt december 1978, Tandberg Industrier was the name of the new company, and Tandberg A/S from 1980. Then all audioequipment was made in the factory located at Kjeller.

Several years later, it came clear that Vebjørn Tandberg was right.
He claimed they could afford to loose money for a longer period because of all the values in the company. When the results were clear, it came out in + 71.800.000 Norwegian crowns, similar to USD 12.800.000 with todays exchange currency. A lot of money in the 80's. Especially for a bancrupt company.

I know an employee in a local company who delivered sheetmetal parts to Tandberg ( you call it ''blanking'' ?) They got their moneys in mid 80's, with interests.

[Redfox]

Without knowing the story about Tandberg, it seems that There was economical responsability. Things were taken care of.

Like what happened to Moto Laverda and probably many other companies.

When they went down, it was because of many factors, amongst many social responsability and paying their debts, unlike so many other companies, or hostile take overs, backed up by "friends" in the legislation.

Real interesting to read this thread.

Cheers,
Jacques.

[tandberg]

Vebjørn Tandberg was not interested in money, he wanted to share his fascination for the radios he made. He gave the ovnership of the company to a fund...foundation or whatever you call it.

In the late seventies when the economical problems started the Norwegian government had to save the company, they had 3000 employees, the largest electronic company in Norway, one of the largest exportbusinesses in Norway, and the biggest bancruptcy at that time. Because of the governments ownership after saving the company, but still going bancrupt, it was close to a crisis in the parlament and close to something called 'mis-trust proposal'

An ad from ca 1936 http://www.mypaper.se/show/elektronikkbransjen/show.asp?pid=345248669265856&initpage=8&did=1

Tandberg started the company in 1933.

He looked at the factory and the employees as his family, was not married and had no expensive habits. He got a normal salary and walked to work with his pieces of bread in his suitcase.

After the government took the ovnership (after supplying 'fresh' money) he still continued to visit his 'family' and talking with the employees. He was 74 years at that time, and had no other interest than the company.
He shared his piont of wiew about things, not always agreeing with the new board/direction...... He therefore got a letter 30th august 1978: As the founder of the company you'll might understand that your factory visits are more to damage than benefit for the company, and we ask you to stop your company-visits.

He visited his sister and sent some letters that night and went to the garage, and started the car.

He was found the next morning.

He left a short typewrited letter with the company logo where he states that he gives his body to the university's medical division, for folloving destruction. ''I have nothing against that my name is added to my parents grave-stone, but without any seremony.
My other belongings I give to the Tandbergs Radiofabrikks foundation.''

My exgirlfriends grandmother worked at the TV-division at Kjeller and she had this letter from the day after: http://sportsbil.com/tandberg/vt-internal-obituary-8-1978.pdf

Tandberg equipment was popular (still are) in USA and they said they could have exported everything they had capacity to make. Sadly the did'nt earn money...

But except from the products Tandberg is also a great story with a sad end.
Probably not all Americans or other foreigners know the Tandberg-story.

My car, and his garage : http://img97.imageshack.us/i/garasje.jpg/

This was the 'representation building' built for taking care of partys for employees, and for foreigners visiting the factory.

Some of you might know the radio serie called HULDRA, Huldra are a folklore/fairytale creature wich represent the the perfect.

My avatar is Huldra5, first Huldra with FM.

This Huldra would appear in the forest, when it's getting dark, she'll dance and sing, she's irressistible and you'll be captured by her beauty.

Here's the Huldra staue from the park outside the Kjelsås factory
http://en.scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview.action;jsessionid=FDAC0439C7B079CEBBCBD949 CDA403D3.tomcatA?search.offset=0&search.rid=7129402&search.rbase=NYHETSBILDER&search.searchId=2146250867&search.previewNumResults=19&search.tabId=editorial&search.advanced.persons=Vaa%2c+Dyre%3b+kunstner

Vebjørn Tandberg believed that good conditions and nice surroundings would inspire the employees, and every factory had one ore more sculptures made by the most successful artist at that time.

Tandberg also had a group for almost everything, theatre, any sport you could think of, music, other hobbies and it was free for his 'family'

Like Huldra it was like a fairytale, but a fairytale with a sad ending.

[Njord Noatun]

"As the founder of the company you'll might understand that your factory visits are more to damage than benefit for the company, and we ask you to stop your company-visits." In the same letter, he was also told by the bankruptcy board that he was evicted from the house he had built for himself while at Tandberg, at 74 years of age.

The attached photo of VT is indicative of his attitude towards his company (please note the portable bed and sleeping bag). In this photo, he is at the railroad station, waiting to take the train to one of the TB factories. He spent the nights while there sleeping on the floor in the main factory hall.

19622

I would also reiterate TH member "tandberg"'s info that VT, after having started the company, early on transferred full, 100%, ownership to the Tandberg Foundation, which was owned by the employees: In short, he gave his creation to his employees! He also donated the full extent of his estate to the Tandberg Foundation...

[Kent T]

Appreciate this historical thread. My wife's parents and she worked for Tandberg. Her Viking drawings were in many a Tandberg manual. When she and her twin brother were born in 1965 with spina bifida and became wheelchair users, Vebjorn Tandberg had an adapted larger house built and fully furnished for the family's needs. And then deeded it over to the family. We still own it. After the twins were born, her parents were also diagnosed with spina bifida. Vebjorn was a superb employer and benevolent to his staff. So we have very fond memories of the company. And he saw that everything they needed was done and generous leave for illnesses and surgeries with full salary.

[tandberg]

I don't remember the detail...but the first transplantation in Norway....don't remember if it was heart, lung...kidney.... Was done on a Tandberg employee, with an American expert wich were flown to Norway, expences paid by the company.

[juncers]

Really interesting thread guys-thanks!
Ray

[tandberg]

Pictures from Oslo, Norway today.

http://www.dagbladet.no/2011/07/25/nyheter/innenriks/utoya/oslo/17453865/

[jdurbin1]

Very sad news... will never understand what makes these far right-wing nutjobs think they will achieve anything through violence like that. Of course it will never change things in the direction they want to go, but will certainly lower the quality of life for the same people they think they're trying to "help".

I'm politically somewhat conservative myself but don't recall having to surrender all common sense in the process. What drives these guys so far off the track?

John

[Patrik]

Very sad news... will never understand what makes these far right-wing nutjobs think they will achieve anything through violence like that. Of course it will never change things in the direction they want to go, but will certainly lower the quality of life for the same people they think they're trying to "help".

I'm politically somewhat conservative myself but don't recall having to surrender all common sense in the process. What drives these guys so far off the track?

John

Being a psychopath probably helps..