The Tokstad Co.,inc.

THE TOKSTAD CO., INC.

PECIALIZATION in a compact list of commodities, all of the items of which represent the best of their kind, and are backed by a brand recognized as a vital guaranty of this excellence, is one of the strong reasons for the success of Ingvar Tokstad, president of the Tok- stad Company, Inc. Mr. Tokstad, in the course of a few years, developed an organization for the sale of imported table delicacies which made the "Normanna" brand a household word from coast to coast.

Mr. Tokstad was born in Christiania, Norway, in 1878, and after completing his education there spent two years in Hamburg, two years in New York and one and a half year in Paris, and then, returning to Christiania, was for three years with a firm of importing agents there. In

1909, after making business connections with prominent European concerns, he came to New York, and with Albert Miller, of Memphis, Tenn., established 011 February 9 in the import and export business under the name of Miller & Tokstad. In September,

1910, Mr. Miller with-drew and the Tokstad- Burger Co. was formed.

In May, 1915, a sister company, Normanna Company, Inc., was organized, and both companies were carried on under the executive direction of Mr. Tokstad until in September, 1919, The Tokstad Co., Inc., was organized and took over the business of the Tokstad-Burger Co. and Normanna Company, Inc., for the purpose of developing to a greater extent both the importing and the exporting business. With connections widened both in this country and Europe, and facilities much enlarged, the new organization en-joys emphasized leadership in its special line.

The business from the first has been that of the importing of table delicacies (sardines, kippered herring, mackerel, etc.). At first the house had sold its goods under fifty or more brands, but in 1912 it was determined to adopt the trademark "Normanna" as a distinctive brand, to maintain at the highest possible standard the goods it designated and to back it up by extensive

and judicious publicity, By this means the fame of "Normanna" products has been widely spread and the business has grown steadily each year. The "Normanna" brand is the most widely advertised brand of imported table delicacies in America, and the Tokstad-Burger Co. was, at the beginning of the war, the largest importer in America of various canned fish products.

During the war Mr. Tokstad went heavily into the export business, mainly of salt fish, canned fish and such products as go to the canning factories, as, for instance, tinplate, continuing, however, at the same time a general export business. The Tokstad Co. is equipped to take good care of such business to any country and is ready to enlarge the scope of its activities.

Mr. Tokstad was one of the founders of the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, and is now one of its officers and directors.

This organization has functioned actively in the development of extensive trade relations between the United States and Norway. During the war the Chamber did unusually good work.