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1950 - 1974
The years of reconstruction in Europe brought unprecedented, indiscriminate growth in all sectors. This was also the case for the Mustad Group. Most factories were first booming, then bloating. Then, with the arrival of the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, European business had to face severely declining markets for the first time.
 
     
1975 - 1980
Restructuring and downsizing became the new model of operation. During this period our Group split. Fishhooks became an independently owned and operated Group based in Norway, and the Mustad International Group as we are known today, moved to Holland. Many units were closed or reduced to create a solid basis for future growth.
 
   
1981 - 2000
In two decades the Group grew from 12 to over 30 independent units in 20 countries on 5 continents. One area of expansion was in oil recycling and the refining of used motor oils. Another by strongly developing our machinery-sector. However the major growth was by acquisition in the hoofcare sector where we expanded our technology by, for example, adding farrier tools and many types of horse-shoe products ­ all in an effort to serve the many local traditions that thrive in countries and regions around the world. Today the Group is the world-wide leader in both nails and shoes.
  
     
The car was just right for his large family, it was an 11-seater. A side effect of this fact was the appearance of Norway’s first “hitchhikers”. Every morning as Mr Mustad drove the 15 km from his residence to the office he would encounter a group of nine people standing at the bottom of a hill waiting for a rise into Oslo in hie large and comfortable car. He could never say no, so they had the best transport in town, all for free. Often Mr Mustad would tell them that they should not depend on him for transport, for if he were sick they would commit the unforgivable sin of being late for work. They would invariably reply that they didn’t worry because Mr Mustad, being so concerned, would certainly send his driver to take them into Oslo.

This situation irritated him to such an extent that he developed a completely new car just to teach them a lesson. This car became known as the Egoïst, it was a single-seater with the gear-shift between the legs and just enough room behind the seat for a slim briefcase.