Høidal explains that the furniture industry started in the 1920s, at a point in history when there was a lot of unemployment in the Norwegian cities. People in villages like Sykkylven had to create their own jobs, and this is a part of Norway where there are long traditions of entrepreneurship – building your own business from scratch.

 

Jens Ekornes started out by producing steel springs and mattresses in 1934, and soon expanded into other furniture. At first, the springs were wrapped in natural fibers and covered in fabric, which was a time-consuming process. The invention of foam changed this drastically, and helped speed up the manufacturing process. During this era, Ekornes expanded faster than any other local manufacturer. The demand for space-saving and durable furniture like sofa beds was high after the war.

 

The big breakthrough, of course, came with the Stressless® recliner. During the 60s and the growth of the television industry, many were looking for recliners that you could sit back and relax in for longer periods of time. Ekornes saw this and set out to create the most comfortable recliner possible. This resulted in the launch of the Stressless® Original in 1971.