In 1946, just after the war, two Norwegians, Tor Kaltvedt and Gunnar Sommer Olsen, bought a radio receiver when it was again permitted. This triggered the business idea to perform sales, production and service of radio receivers and auxiliary equipment’ and registered their own company under the name of VINGTOR Radio AS. The company was named after the Vingtor Catalina seaplanes used by the navy in Horten during the war, which was the main base for the Norwegian Navy. The choice of VINGTOR, a name then well known locally, made marketing easy in Horten.
In the 50’s, the company became more oriented towards production of own developed equipment for the local market. When VINGTOR Radio AS changed owners and name in the 60’s, VINGTOR Electronics became more export oriented, and around fifty percent of all production was catering for the marine market. Therefore, VINGTOR Marine Division was created and eventually became a company in its own right in 1985.
Cooperation with STENTOFON had already started in 1980 by adapting PAMEX and other on-shore intercom systems for on-board communication. This adaptation was so fruitful that STENTOFON acquired the company in 1988 and became sole owner of VINGTOR Marine AS. Subsidiaries were later established in Croatia, Germany, Singapore and China.
The 90’s witnessed an alliance of the three strongest Norwegian brands in the field of marine communication: Ring-Marine and STENTOFON merged in 1997 to become Stento Marine, and STEENHANS was acquired in 1999. The mother company, Stento ASA, merged with SAIT Radio Holland in May 2000 and the company changed its name in 2001 to Zenitel, the marine division becomes Zenitel Marine.
All through these years, the VINGTOR brand hasn’t stopped seducing more prestigious and demanding customers such as DOF, REM Offshore, Nordcapital, Stolt Nielsen, Odfjell Tankers, A.P. Møller and Maersk to mention a few…