Dive into the story of Arctic Import
From our modest start with the vision of connecting Greenland to the wider market, to evolving into a cornerstone of trade within the North Atlantic market, our heritage is diverse and rich. We take pride in our journey of bridging communities and delivering value through our dedicated service, commitments, and ambitious goals.
Dive into Arctic Import – a journey filled with challenges and milestones. Discover the dedicated people and inspiring stories behind our journey, shaping us into who we are today.
Pioneering Greenland's diverse market from timber to treasures
In 1972, The Royal Greenlandic Trade (Den
Kongelige Grønlandske Handel) moved to Aalborg, sparking interest in Greenland among several companies in North Jutland. At that time, Greenland was undersupplied with almost all types of consumer goods across various industries.
The following year, in 1973, Poul Jørgen Nielsen, a newly graduated civil engineer, secured a position as a salesperson at a timber merchant in North Jutland. This merchant established a Greenland department with the aim of creating a viable section for the sale of building materials to Greenland.
Business trips to all the towns in Greenland quickly became a success and laid the groundwork for establishing a local representation in Nuuk. In 1977, Ole Nielsen was hired to manage this function. In addition to the demand for building materials, they received requests for a wide range of products - in short, "everything under the sun". These included everything from trucks, cranes, and boats to a canary for the children or Greenlandic pearls for the lady.
This diverse need created a solid sales foundation for other categories of goods beyond construction. On this basis, Poul Jørgen Nielsen and Ole Nielsen were able to establish the independent sales company domiciled in Greenland, Arctic Import, in October 1978.
That same year, they had the opportunity to buy the local Eventyr ice cream depot in Nuuk, which later became the foundation for Arctic Import's retail department.
Tool Center in Nuuk, 1985
In order to serve the local craftsmen in Greenland, a tool center was established in Nuuk in 1985. Over the years, the tool center has undergone significant development, and in 2004, a growing demand enabled the addition of lumber and building materials to the inventory. In 2005, an expanded lumber and building center was established on the premises.
Specialisering
Som et naturligt led i udviklingen blev der i 1991 etableret en selvstændig salgsafdeling til servicering af institutioner og hoteller. Afdelingen har i dag specialiseret sig inden for indretningsløsninger og forbrugsvarer, og ved siden af disse aktiviteter er der yderligere etableret engrossalg til supermarkeder, købmænd og kiosker. I 2001 blev der oprettet et engroslager i Nuuk, hvorfra der løbende sikres levering af hurtigt omsættelige dagligvarer til butikker i den grønlandske hovedstad.
I 1991 overtog Arctic Import, Ilulissat Centermarked, hvilket blev begyndelsen på overtagelsen af en række dagligvarebutikker i Grønland.FÆRØSK DATTERSELSKAB
I 1999 blev der etableret repræsentation på Færøerne på baggrund af erfaringerne i Grønland. Efterfølgende er disse aktiviteter overgået til det færøske datterselskab Blika, hvori Arctic Group har en ejerandel på 100 %. I slutningen af 2018 skiftede Blika navn til Arctic Import, så alle koncernens nordatlantiske selskaber nu opererer under samme navn.
Udvikling af koncernen
Koncernens størrelse gjorde det i 2007 nødvendigt at opdele aktiviteterne, således at værktøjscenter, trælast og byggemarked blev skilt fra Arctic Import og gjort til et selvstændigt selskab under navnet XL-BYG Arctic Import. En omstrukturering i 2011 betød frasalg af XL-BYG Arctic Import og dermed frasalg af Trælast og dele af Håndværk & Industri.
FOKUS PÅ TOTALLEVERANCER
I dag er koncernens fokus rettet mod det grønlandske, færøske og islandske marked og Arctic Group er en specialiseret samhandelspartner for offentlige og private virksomheder. Gennem salgsselskabet Arctic Import A/S leveres kolonialvarer til købmænd, restauranter og skibe samt et bredt sortiment af dagligvarer og udvalgsvarer til offentlige og private virksomheder.
Arctic Import sikrer en hurtig, nem og sikker levering.
