Koppartrans



=Koppartrans=

Koppartrans was a Swedish gasoline company founded in Gothenburg in 1947. The name Koppartrans comes from Stora Kopparberg (current Stora Enso ) and Transatlantic shipping company, which together formed the company. Koppartrans was one of Sweden's most common petrol stations in the 1950s and 1960s, but disappeared in the 1970s after Shell bought the company in 1963. A Koppartransmack is preserved in Värmland, Hämnäs. [ 1]

The symbol, the fire-sprawling heraldic animal Koptra, should have been created by Austrian designer Fritz Rückert who was the studio manager at Ervaco in Stockholm. He should have received inspiration from the old Mobil brand. [ 2] It refers to the refinery's eternal flame, in which excess gas surpluses formed during the process are difficult to use. Other sources mean that it was Sten Kindgren, the man behind the right-hand traffic mark , but this is not true. [ 3]

Koppartrans invested heavily in thoughtful design and a lot of advertising. In addition to brochures and flyers, lots of key chains, maps and other promotional products were made. The petrol stations were also often architectural and futuristic creations.

After World War II, it was economical to put refineries close to the consumption areas instead of being close to the oil sources. This is mainly due to the increased consumption and the ever-increasing tankers.

The Port of Gothenburg, Gunnar Osvald , was interested in oil and met in the 1940s the wholesale retailer and snus maker Robert Ljunglöf , who included the chairman of Stora Kopparbergs Bergslags AB , Rederi AB Transatlantic and Stockholms Enskilda Bank. At these meetings, there was a refinery for sale in Mira Lima, a partially vacated military depot, seven miles south of Los Angeles. The refinery consisted of two units for the distillation of crude oil and two units for thermal reforming of gasoline. It was manufactured during World War II and originally a gift from the United States to the Chinese National Government for its country's war of war against Japan. Before the ship was transported to China, the war ended. A purchase agreement was signed on December 7, 1946 between the National Resources Commission of the Chinese Government and Stora Kopparbergs Bergslag AB. The purchase price was $ 1 166 275.

On 28 February 1947 Koppartrans Olje AB was formed. On June 16, the Royal Patent and Registration Office granted registration of the company. The major owners of Koppartrans became Stora Kopparberg and Transatlantic and Gunnar Osvald, its first CEO.

In April 1947, S / S Alabaman arrived at Gothenburg's port. The ship was loaded with 4,851 packages, which together formed a refinery complete with - besides the refinery units - also fixtures for a control laboratory and pens, ink, paper, punches, stenogram blocks , hat shelves and more.

Eventually, one agreed on an establishment, Skarvik at Hisingen in Gothenburg. 80 villas in Skarvik and Smedjegården needed to be moved. On September 26, 1949, the crude oil plant was ready for operation and was the largest refinery in Sweden. The petrol reform plant was then commissioned in 1953.

In 1958 Transatlantic sold its shareholding to Stora Kopparberg and in 1963, Svenska Shell was announced as sole owner of Koppartrans. The refinery now came for a few years to be called the Shell-Koppartrans refinery. Koppartrans Olje AB was formally Shell Raffinaderi AB 1975.