In the late 1960 Boeing built the first 747s also known as the Jumbo Jet, and with the Jumbo Jet came a need for containing and loading luggage and cargo onboard aircrafts more efficiently. The solution was air cargo containers and pallets, also known as Unit Load Devices (ULD). At the same time in Norway, the Norwegian company Nordisk Aluminiumindustry, a supplier of aluminium car body parts, industrial tanks and cooking utensils, was seeking to expand into new markets. In 1969 Mr Magnar Henriksen, a Bachelor of Commerce with several years experience from SAS, was employed Nordisk Aluminiumindustri, and given transportation as focus area. Henriksen soon saw air cargo equipment as an interesting market for Nordisk, and in 1970, Mr Henriksen and his team were given the go-ahead by the Directors of Nordisk to develop and produce ULD Products in Holmestrand. As a newcomer the design team at Nordisk's ULD department knew that they couldn't simply copy what other suppliers did, and market driven innovation was from the very beginning the hallmark of the air cargo team. The hollow edge pallet introduced by Nordisk in 1975 represented an industry breakthrough in weight reduction. The world's first full width lower deck container, introduced in 1983, increased usable lower deck volumes, maximizing air freight capacity and utilization. Today, Nordisk's complete product range includes hundreds of different variants and customized solutions that help solve everyday challenges in air cargo operation.
