Frank Mohn

Framo is the commercial brand associated with Framo AS, a Norwegian industrial engineering company established in 1938 by Frank Mohn. The company developed its identity around specialized pumping technology, particularly submerged cargo pumps used in tanker operations. Its products are designed for demanding fluid-handling environments in which reliability, controllability, safe cargo transfer and integration with a vessel or offshore installation are important. The brand’s core market is marine equipment. Its portfolio includes submerged cargo pumps and complete cargo-pumping systems for tankers, as well as transportable pumping systems and anti-heeling systems used to manage vessel stability. Framo also supplies equipment for oil recovery and offshore pumping, including water-injection pumps, fire-water pumps, seawater-lift pumps, cavern pumps, portable pumps and systems for subsea applications. The breadth of this portfolio reflects the company’s development from a cargo-pump specialist into a broader supplier of engineered pumping solutions for marine, oil-and-gas and offshore customers. Framo AS functions as the group-level administrative and sales organization, while manufacturing and specialist activities are distributed among affiliated companies. Framo Fusa, historically known as Frank Mohn Fusa, represents the marine division and produces cargo-pumping, transportable-pumping and anti-heeling systems. Framo Flatøy, historically Frank Mohn Flatøy, focuses on oil-and-gas and offshore equipment. Framo Services provides maintenance and repair support for pumps used by customers around the world, and Framo Piping is responsible for piping associated with Framo systems. The wider industrial network has also included Framo Engineering, a subsea technology business that became part of Schlumberger, now SLB, through transactions completed in 2007 and 2011. The company’s principal industrial base remains in Norway, where the referenced product portfolio is manufactured. At the same time, the brand has maintained international commercial reach through offices or entities in the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil, Singapore, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and China. This combination of Norwegian engineering and international service coverage is central to Framo’s positioning in the specialized marine-equipment market. Ownership changed materially in 2014, when Alfa Laval acquired Framo. The transaction placed the brand within a larger international industrial group while preserving Framo’s identity and specialization in pumping systems. Framo therefore operates today as an Alfa Laval-owned business and brand rather than as an independent publicly traded company. Its activities remain concentrated on engineered pumps, systems, aftermarket service and related equipment for marine, tanker, offshore and oil-and-gas applications. Beyond commercial operations, the Frank Mohn organization has supported community and sports activities in the Bergen region. It has been associated with sponsorship of the Tertnes and Fyllingen handball teams and with financing for indoor sports facilities including Vestlandshallen and Framohallen. These activities form part of the company’s regional legacy, while the Framo brand itself is primarily recognized for industrial pumping and fluid-handling technology.

Framo’s history begins in Norway in 1938, when Frank Mohn founded the company that would later become associated with the Framo brand. The business was built around industrial engineering and pumping technology, with submerged cargo pumps becoming its defining commercial specialization. These pumps serve tanker operators by enabling cargo to be transferred from tanks through equipment installed within the cargo-handling system. The specialization placed the company in a technically demanding segment where equipment reliability, safety and compatibility with vessel systems are essential. Over time, the company expanded beyond individual pumps into complete systems and adjacent applications. Its marine division developed cargo-pumping systems, transportable pumping systems and anti-heeling systems. Anti-heeling equipment addresses the management of vessel stability during loading, unloading and other operations. The expansion allowed Framo to serve a wider range of shipboard requirements while retaining a close connection to cargo handling. The company also developed a substantial oil-and-gas and offshore portfolio. Activities associated with Framo Flatøy included water-injection systems, fire-water pumps, seawater-lift pumps, cavern pumps, portable pumps, oil-recovery equipment and subsea pumping systems. These products extended the company’s engineering capabilities from tanker cargo operations to offshore production, emergency water supply, marine utilities and specialized recovery work. Framo organized its activities through a group structure in which Framo AS handled overall administration and sales while affiliated companies manufactured products or delivered specialized services. Framo Fusa became associated with the marine division, Framo Flatøy with oil-and-gas equipment, Framo Services with maintenance and repair, and Framo Piping with piping used in Framo systems. Manufacturing remained centered in Norway, even as the business served customers internationally. A separate part of the group’s development involved Framo Engineering, which specialized in high-technology subsea equipment for the oil-and-gas industry. Schlumberger acquired a partial interest in that business in 2007 and purchased the remaining shares from Frank Mohn in 2011. Framo Engineering subsequently became known as OneSubsea Processing, separating that activity from the core Framo pumping brand. International expansion was supported by offices and operating entities in markets including the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil, Singapore, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and China. The international network complemented the Norwegian manufacturing base and helped provide sales, technical support and service to marine and offshore customers outside Norway. Framo Services in the Bergen area supported the installed base by maintaining and repairing pumps for customers in different parts of the world. The most important ownership transition came in 2014, when Alfa Laval acquired Framo. The acquisition moved the company into a larger global industrial portfolio while the Framo name continued to represent specialized pumping systems. Framo AS remained the administrative and sales entity for the business, with production and specialist operations conducted through related companies. The Frank Mohn organization also developed a regional presence through sponsorship and community support. It supported the Tertnes and Fyllingen handball teams and contributed to indoor sports facilities such as Vestlandshallen and Framohallen. These activities complemented, but did not replace, the company’s central industrial identity. Today, Framo is principally associated with marine cargo pumps, offshore pumping systems, fluid-handling equipment and related service, operating as an Alfa Laval-owned Norwegian brand.

• 2014

  Framo acquired by Alfa Laval

  [1]Framo ASen.wikipedia.org

  Alfa Laval became the owner of Framo, integrating the Norwegian pumping business into its industrial group.

• 2011

  Remaining Framo Engineering shares sold to Schlumberger

  [1]Framo ASen.wikipedia.org

  Schlumberger completed the acquisition of the remaining shares in Framo Engineering from Frank Mohn.

• 2007

  Schlumberger takes a partial interest in Framo Engineering

  [1]Framo ASen.wikipedia.org

  Schlumberger began acquiring Framo Engineering, the group’s specialist subsea-equipment business.

• 1938

  Company founded by Frank Mohn

  [1]Framo ASen.wikipedia.org

  Frank Mohn established the Norwegian company that developed into the Framo pumping-equipment business.

A specialist Norwegian marine and offshore engineering brand focused on reliable submerged pumping, cargo transfer and engineered fluid-handling systems, supported by international service capabilities and Alfa Laval ownership.

• Marine cargo-handling equipment

  Submerged cargo pumps

  Submerged cargo pumps are Framo’s signature offering. They are designed for tanker cargo-handling systems and support the transfer of liquid cargo from vessel tanks. The equipment forms part of an integrated pumping approach intended for demanding marine operating conditions.

• Portable and marine pumping systems

  Transportable pumping systems

  Transportable pumping systems provide flexible pumping capacity for marine, offshore and industrial tasks where a permanently installed system is not suitable. Framo’s portfolio includes transportable and portable configurations associated with its marine and offshore divisions.

• Vessel stability systems

  Anti-heeling pumping systems

  Anti-heeling systems help manage a vessel’s transverse stability during cargo-handling and other operational activities. They form part of Framo’s marine division and are supplied as engineered pumping systems rather than as standalone general-purpose pumps.

• Offshore and oil-and-gas equipment

  Offshore pumping systems

  Framo’s offshore portfolio includes water-injection pumps, fire-water pumps, seawater-lift pumps, cavern pumps and pumping systems for subsea applications. These products serve offshore production, utility, emergency-response and specialized subsea requirements.

• Oil-spill and recovery equipment

  Oil-recovery equipment

  Oil-recovery equipment and pumping systems extend Framo’s fluid-handling capabilities to recovery applications. The portfolio is associated with the company’s offshore division and is intended for specialized marine and oil-and-gas operating environments.

• Industrial maintenance services

  Pump services

  Framo Services maintains and repairs pumps for customers internationally. The service activity supports the installed base and complements Framo’s equipment business with maintenance, troubleshooting and repair capabilities.

• Regional handball sponsorship

  Bergen region · Norway

  Frank Mohn has supported the Tertnes I.L. and Fyllingen I.L. handball teams as part of its regional community involvement.

  Source
• Indoor sports-facility support

  Vestland · Norway

  The Frank Mohn organization contributed to financing indoor sports facilities including Vestlandshallen and Framohallen.

  Source

• 2014

  Sale of Framo to Alfa LavalM&A

  Background

  Framo was an established Norwegian supplier of marine and offshore pumping systems with international sales and service activities.

  Action taken

  Alfa Laval acquired the company and became its owner.

  Aftermath

  Framo continued as a specialized pumping brand within the Alfa Laval Group.

  Source

• 2011

  Completion of Framo Engineering divestmentM&A

  Background

  Framo Engineering specialized in subsea equipment for the oil-and-gas industry, and Schlumberger had already acquired a partial interest in 2007.

  Action taken

  Schlumberger acquired the remaining shares in Framo Engineering from Frank Mohn.

  Aftermath

  The engineering business became known as OneSubsea Processing, now associated with SLB, while Framo retained its core pumping activities.

  Source

1. 1Framo ASen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Framo official websiteframo.no