VB Gruppen

VB Gruppen is a Norwegian plumbing and HVAC (VVS) corporation with roots in the plumber chain VB (Varme & Bad), which was started by a group of plumbers in 1998. The group as it exists today was established in 2023 as a nationwide consortium of and for plumbers, without financial or industrial investors. Its creation was a response to consolidation and acquisitions in the Nordic plumbing sector, including moves by international players. Chain members were given the opportunity to sell their businesses to VB in exchange for loan-financed cash and shares, allowing them to remain owners in the group. Members who did not wish to sell could continue in a chain cooperation called "VB Partner" or a purchasing cooperation called "VB Alliert". As of 2023, VB Gruppen comprised around 150 group departments and companies across Norway, with total revenue of approximately NOK 3 billion and about 1,900 employees. The group has larger offices in Stavanger and Oslo, and its CEO is Anders Almestad. The company operates the vb.no website, which serves as both a consumer information portal and an e-commerce channel for bathroom, kitchen, laundry, cabin, heating, and water-safety products. The site offers guides on bathroom renovation, underfloor heating, smart water heaters, water damage prevention, and finding a plumber, alongside a broad product catalog that includes bathtubs, massage tubs, bathroom furniture, mixers and taps, showers, kitchen sinks, laundry tubs, pumps, pipe parts, leak protection, washbasins, and bathroom accessories. VB Gruppen positions itself as a plumber-driven alternative in the Norwegian VVS market, combining local craftsmanship with national purchasing power and consumer-facing digital services. Its product range spans bathroom fixtures and furniture, heating and energy solutions such as waterborne heating and smart water heaters, and safety products like water stops and leak detection. The group's structure allows independent plumbing businesses to retain ownership while benefiting from centralized procurement, branding, and marketing.

VB Gruppen traces its origins to the plumber chain VB (Varme & Bad), which was started by a group of Norwegian plumbers in 1998. For years it operated as a cooperative chain, allowing independent plumbing businesses to share purchasing power, branding, and marketing while retaining local ownership. In 2023, the group structure was formalized with the establishment of VB Gruppen as a nationwide consortium of and for plumbers, without financial or industrial investors. This move was a direct response to consolidation and acquisitions in the VVS industry, where more demanding framework conditions had led to buyouts, including by international actors. The solution allowed chain members to sell their businesses to VB, with payment in the form of loan-financed cash and shares. Because part of the consideration was in shares, selling members continued as owners in VB Gruppen. Members who did not want to sell could remain in a chain cooperation called "VB Partner" or a purchasing cooperation called "VB Alliert". By 2023, with all acquired and affiliated chain businesses, VB Gruppen consisted of around 150 group departments and companies across Norway, with total revenue of approximately NOK 3 billion and about 1,900 employees. The group maintains larger offices in Stavanger and Oslo. The Scandinavian craft group Mestergruppen has undergone a similar consolidation process. VB Gruppen's CEO is Anders Almestad.

• 2023

  VB Gruppen established as a nationwide consortium of and for plumbers, without external investors.

• 2023

  Group reported around 150 departments and companies, approximately NOK 3 billion in revenue, and about 1,900 employees.

• 1998

  VB (Varme & Bad) chain started by a group of Norwegian plumbers.

A nationwide, plumber-owned alternative in the Norwegian VVS market, combining local craftsmanship with national scale and consumer digital services.

• Bathtubs and massage tubs

• Bathroom furniture

• Mixers and taps

• Showers and shower enclosures

• Washbasins

• Kitchen sinks and laundry tubs

• Pumps and pipe parts

• Water leak protection

• Waterborne heating

• Smart water heater

1. 1Velkommen til VBvb.no
2. 2VB Gruppen - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3VB Gruppen - Wikipedia (Norwegian)no.wikipedia.org
4. 4Søkeresultat resultertvb.no