His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will travel to the county of Vestfold next Tuesday, 17 April, to visit member companies of Norsk Bergindustri. The Crown Prince’s visit to the Norwegian mineral industry association is in recognition of the groups 10th anniversary, which they are marking this year.
Norsk Bergindustri is the primary industry association for the entire Norwegian mineral industry and is composed of around 160 member companies who produce ore, minerals, natural stone as well as puck, gravel and other building materials. They also have member companies who supply goods and services to the industry as a whole.
The association was formed through a merger of three older industry organisations in 2008, and though this particular organisation is just 10-years-old this year, the mountain industry in Norway itself has a long and rich history. Many modern Norwegian cities and towns are built where ancient mining communities once blossomed, including Røros, where ore production began in the first half of the 17th century.
The County Governor of Vestfold has shared that the royal visit will commence at Lundh’s in Larvik where Crown Prince Haakon will meet with representatives of the industry association and its participating companies. He will have the opportunity to learn more about the mountain industry in Vestfold and to visit Lundh’s quarry in Tvedalen, where he will share lunch with employees and be taken on a tour of the quarry itself.
From there the Crown Prince will visit the shipping port of Svartebukt before travelling on to Tønsberg to visit Freste Puk. Secretary of the Norwegian Bergindustri, Elisabeth Gammelsæter, has said: “We are proud to be able to show the Crown Prince the production of Norway’s national stone Larvikite, present the fantastic opportunities in the industry’s minerals in the Fens field, and visit one of our many members of the congregation.”