Paus & Paus
Paus & Paus was a Norwegian industrial company active in pulp and paper, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals from 1906 until its acquisition by Pemco in 2001.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Paus & Paus was a Norwegian industrial company that operated primarily in the pulp and paper sector while also developing activities in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The business began in 1906 as Helmer & Paus, founded by Alf Paus and Georg F. Helmer. When Helmer left the partnership in 1909, Alf Paus's brother Nicolay, also known as Nissen Paus, joined the company, and the business adopted the name Paus & Paus. The company became part of Norway's industrial infrastructure during a period when domestic manufacturing and processing firms were expanding their production capabilities. Its activities were particularly associated with the pulp and paper industry, and for many years Paus & Paus was regarded as one of the larger companies of its kind in eastern Norway. Its industrial scope was not limited to paper-related operations: the company also had interests in chemical manufacturing and pharmaceutical activities, making it a diversified industrial enterprise rather than a single-product consumer brand. In 1914, the company's headquarters moved to Christiania, the historical name of what is now Oslo. Paus & Paus was converted into a limited company in 1918. Two years later, Alf and Nicolay Paus acquired nearly all shares in Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik in Drammen. That factory subsequently operated as a subsidiary, strengthening Paus & Paus's position in paper-industry manufacturing and related industrial products. Paus & Paus continued operating through the twentieth century, with a corporate structure that included subsidiary businesses. The company ultimately ceased to exist as an independent enterprise in 2001, when it was acquired by Pemco. Some former subsidiaries continued to exist after the acquisition, but the Paus & Paus company itself is treated as defunct. Because the available reference material provides limited information about later management, specific product names, financial performance, and the details of the Pemco transaction, those aspects are not stated here as established facts.
History
Paus & Paus originated in 1906, when Alf Paus and Georg F. Helmer founded an industrial business in Norway under the name Helmer & Paus. The company's early development reflected the growth of Norwegian industrial manufacturing, particularly in sectors connected with paper production and processing. A change in the partnership led to the company's better-known name. In 1909, Helmer left the business and Alf Paus's brother Nicolay Paus, commonly identified as Nissen Paus, became Alf's new partner. The company was consequently renamed Paus & Paus. This family-led structure remained important to the business's early identity. In 1914, Paus & Paus moved its headquarters to Christiania, the historical name of Oslo. The company adopted the legal form of a limited company in 1918. Its principal industrial importance lay in pulp and paper, and it became one of the larger companies in the sector in eastern Norway. Alongside those operations, the company developed or maintained activities in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, giving it a broader industrial profile. A significant expansion took place in 1920. Alf and Nicolay Paus acquired nearly all shares in Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik, a factory in Drammen. The factory subsequently became a subsidiary of Paus & Paus. Its inclusion connected the group more closely with the manufacture of paper-related industrial materials and illustrates the company's use of subsidiary ownership to extend its operating base. Paus & Paus remained active through much of the twentieth century. The available historical account does not provide a complete chronology of its later factories, brands, products, financial results, or executive succession, so those details cannot be established from the supplied sources. It does, however, identify the company as a diversified industrial enterprise whose main historical base was pulp and paper, with additional chemical and pharmaceutical interests. The company's independent existence ended in 2001, when Pemco acquired it. Following the transaction, a number of former subsidiary companies continued to exist, but Paus & Paus itself no longer operated as an independent company. It is therefore classified as a defunct Norwegian corporate brand and industrial company. Its historical significance rests chiefly on its long operation in eastern Norway's pulp and paper industry and on the subsidiary businesses that survived beyond the parent company's acquisition.
- 2001
Acquired by Pemco
[1]Pemco acquired Paus & Paus, bringing the company's independent corporate history to an end.
- 1920
Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik acquired
[1]Alf and Nicolay Paus acquired nearly all shares in the Drammen-based Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik, which became a subsidiary.
- 1918
Converted into a limited company
[1]Paus & Paus adopted the legal form of a limited company.
- 1914
Headquarters moved to Christiania
[1]The company relocated its headquarters to Christiania, now known as Oslo.
- 1909
Name changed to Paus & Paus
[1]Georg F. Helmer left the partnership, and Nicolay Paus joined Alf Paus, prompting the renaming of the company.
- 1906
Helmer & Paus established
[1]Alf Paus and Georg F. Helmer founded the industrial company that initially operated under the name Helmer & Paus.
Products and positioning
A diversified Norwegian industrial company focused on pulp and paper, with additional activities in chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Pulp and paper
Pulp and paper activities
Pulp and paper formed the company's principal historical industrial field. Paus & Paus was one of the larger companies in this sector in eastern Norway for many years, although the available reference does not identify specific consumer-facing paper brands or detailed product ranges.
Industrial paper materials · 1920
Paper-felt manufacturing
The group's connection with paper-felt manufacturing came through Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik in Drammen, acquired in 1920 and subsequently operated as a Paus & Paus subsidiary. Detailed specifications and product names are not provided in the available source.
Chemicals
Chemical activities
Paus & Paus also operated in the chemical industry. The supplied reference confirms the sector but does not identify individual chemical products, facilities, or brands.
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical activities
Pharmaceuticals were another area of activity within the broader industrial company. No specific medicines, pharmaceutical subsidiaries, or product chronology are established by the available reference.
Brand decisions
2001
Acquisition by PemcoM&ABackground
After operating for most of the twentieth century as a Norwegian industrial company, Paus & Paus was subject to a corporate acquisition.
Action taken
Pemco acquired Paus & Paus.
Aftermath
Paus & Paus ceased to exist as an independent company, while some former subsidiaries continued operating.
1920
Acquisition of Den Norske PapirfiltfabrikM&ABackground
Paus & Paus was expanding its presence in the pulp and paper industry and sought control of a Drammen factory involved in paper-felt manufacturing.
Action taken
Alf and Nicolay Paus acquired nearly all shares in Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik, which became a subsidiary of Paus & Paus.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened the company's paper-industry operations and added a subsidiary that remained associated with the group.
Recent events
- 2001
Paus & Paus acquired by Pemco[1]
M&A
Pemco acquired Paus & Paus, ending the company's independent existence.
- 1920
Paus family acquired Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik[1]
M&A
Alf and Nicolay Paus acquired nearly all shares in Den Norske Papirfiltfabrik in Drammen, which later became a Paus & Paus subsidiary.
- 1918
Paus & Paus became a limited company[1]
Other
The business was reorganized as a limited company.
- 1914
Headquarters relocated to Christiania[1]
Other
Paus & Paus moved its headquarters to Christiania, the former name of Oslo.
- 1909
Company renamed Paus & Paus after partnership change[1]
Leadership change
After Georg F. Helmer left, Nicolay Paus joined his brother Alf Paus, and the company changed its name from Helmer & Paus to Paus & Paus.
- 1906
Paus & Paus founded as Helmer & Paus[1]
Other
Alf Paus and Georg F. Helmer established the Norwegian industrial company that later became Paus & Paus.
Sources1 sources
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