Silva Compass - History

History

Silva Sweden AB created their first compass in 1928, and established their company in 1933.
Below is a Chronological timeline of important dates in the history of Silva Sweden AB:

• 1928 Gunnar Tillander invents the first orienteering (baseplate) compass.
• 1932 The Silva Company is established in December 1932 by Tillander, Alvar Kjellström, Alvid Kjellström, and Björn Kjellström. The company introduces its first baseplate compass with a liquid-damped capsule.
• 1939 Silva Model 1939 mirror-sight, liquid-damped baseplate compass introduced.
• 1946 Björn Kjellström begins U.S. Silva operations as The Silva Company (later Silva, Inc.). Compass assembly factory established in La Porte, Indiana. Silva Orienteering Services established to support the sport of orienteering in North America.
• 1948 Kjellström founds Silva's Canadian distributor operations in Toronto, Canada as Silva Ltd.
• 1950 Silva The Ranger orienteering sighting compass introduced to North America featuring a mirror sighting system and liquid-damped needle.
• 1958 Silva Production AB expands with new plastics manufacturing operations
• 1960 Silva Production AB expands with new tooling and manufacturing operations.
• 1964 Silva Ranger Type 15 deluxe compass introduced with optional adjustable declination, clinometer, and quadrant scale
• 1973 New manufacturing plant, Instrumentverken in Sollentuna. Johnson Wax Associates (JWA) acquires Silva, Inc. (Silva USA).
• 1980 JWA moves its corporate headquarters to Binghamton, New York, closing the Silva USA compass factory in La Porte, Indiana.
• 1981 Silva Production AB launches its first electronic instrument design
• 1981 Acquisition of different lines of sporting goods for Swedish sport market by Silva Production AB.
• 1982 Production of first electronic instruments by Silva Production AB.
• 1985 Johnson Worldwide Associates (JWA) purchases Silva Ltd. of Canada.
• 1984 New Warehouse.
• 1986 Enlargement of Silva Production AB manufacturing plant.
• 1986 New showroom for Silva Group products.
• 1989 Launching of largest investment program ever for The Silva Group. Market - production - research & development.
• 1990 Inauguration new premises Silva France
  • 25 million compasses produced
  • New subsidiary Silva US Marine
  • New manufacturing plant in Livingston, Scotland
  • Acquisition of precision instrument producer Sisteco Finland
• 1992 Silva Group launches its first satellite navigator
• 1995 Björn Kjellström dies. The Silva factory in Haninge reinaugurates
• 1996 Silva Production AB acquires Brunton, Inc., resulting in the largest compass manufacturing concern in the USA, and terminates its compass distribution agreement with Silva USA/JWA.
• 1997 JWA (later Johnson Outdoors, Inc.) files suit to retain exclusive rights to the Silva brand name in North America.
• 1998 As part of a new marketing plan, Silva Production AB of Sweden distributes its original Silva Swedish-made compasses under the Brunton and Nexus labels in North America. In turn, Brunton-designed compasses such as the Brunton 9020, 8040, and Eclipse and sourced from the U.S. and China are labeled with the Silva or Silva Voyager brand for sale in areas outside North America.
• 2000 Silva introduces the Silva Multi-Navigator a combined GPS, electronic compass, and barometric altimeter, sold as the Brunton MNS in North America.
• 2004 Silva opens a production facility in mainland China for production of some Silva compass models.
• 2006 Fiskars AB acquires Silva Production AB Group of Sweden
• 2009 Fiskars sells Brunton Inc. to Fenix Outdoor AB of Sweden. Silva of Sweden stops exporting its compasses and GPS devices to North America under the Nexus and Brunton brands, and halts further imports of Brunton products under the Silva brand.
• 2011 Fiskars sells Silva Sweden AB to Karnell, a Swedish investment firm