Bekken & Strøm

What Bekken & Strøm does

Bekken & Strøm is a Norwegian private-label workwear brand established in 1998, headquartered in Gjøvik and wholly owned by Ahlsell, a major Nordic distributor of professional tools and supplies. The brand produces high-visibility outerwear, all-weather jackets, softshells, shell and rain jackets, work trousers, wool socks, knee pads, and belts under locality-named series (Gjøvik, Bergset, Majavatn, Drevsjø, Dokka), plus the newly introduced Rena winter jacket concept. Products carry EN-style visibility classifications (class 2 and class 3) and are engineered for fit, durability, and year-round Nordic working conditions.

The business model is a single-channel B2B hardware sales motion: all revenue is generated through branded apparel and PPE sold exclusively via Ahlsell's Norwegian distribution network, which spans physical retail stores, an e-commerce platform with EDI and PunchOut procurement integration, catalogs, and Ahlsell's corporate social channels. Bekken & Strøm has no independent sales force, no public pricing, and no separate legal identity from its parent. Customer demand is met through Ahlsell's existing trade relationships across construction, electrical, industrial, property and facilities management, water and sewage, and HVAC/VVS verticals, with no identified direct end-customer logos in the input.

The competitive position is rooted in 25+ years of brand heritage and in the captive distribution relationship with Ahlsell; the brand does not operate independent R&D, manufacturing locations, pricing, or marketing outside of Ahlsell-controlled channels. No AI, software, or platform technology is associated with the brand, and brand-level revenue is not separately disclosed by the parent.

Name

Bekken & Strøm

Legal name

Bekken & Strøm

Website

https://bekkenstrom.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bekken & Strøm is a Norwegian private-label workwear brand, founded 1998 and wholly owned by Ahlsell, producing HiVis outerwear, work trousers, footwear accessories and safety apparel sold exclusively through Ahlsell's Norway B2B distribution network to construction, electrical, industrial, facilities, water/sewage and HVAC trade customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workwear

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320)

akta.pro primary industry

Workwear, Uniform & Protective Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI), Workwear, Uniforms & Safety Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAC)

Keywords

• Professional workwear
• Work clothing
• Hi-vis clothing
• Workwear manufacturing
• Branded workwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Gjøvik

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Work clothing sales: Bekken & Strøm generates revenue through the sale of branded work clothing and personal protective equipment, distributed exclusively via Ahlsell's B2B distribution network in Norway. Revenue is derived from product sales to professional/trade customers across multiple industry segments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bekken & Strøm is a Norwegian private label workwear brand that designs, produces, and sells high-quality professional work clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) including high-visibility jackets, winter jackets, shell jackets, softshell jackets, rain jackets, craft pants, T-shirts, and accessories such as knee pads, belts, and socks. The brand is owned by Ahlsell and is distributed exclusively through Ahlsell's B2B retail and e-commerce network in Norway, serving professional trade customers across construction, electrical, industrial, water/sewage, HVAC, and facilities management sectors since 1998.

Product overview

Bekken & Strøm is a private label workwear brand owned by Ahlsell, producing high-quality work clothes since 1998. The brand focuses on comfortable fit and high durability suitable for most industries in Norway. The product portfolio includes multiple series: the Gjøvik series (high-visibility workwear), Bergset series (softshell and rain jackets), Majavatn series (craftsman pants and jackets), Drevsjø series (stretch work pants), and Dokka series (high-visibility winter overalls). The brand recently launched the Rena winter jacket concept. Products range from outerwear (winter jackets, shell jackets, rain jackets) to work pants, T-shirts, and accessories (knee pads, belts, socks), all designed for professional use in Norwegian work conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bekken & Strøm Gjøvik series (HiVis workwear) A workwear series featuring HiVis (high visibility) clothing designed for visibility and comfort throughout the year. Includes jackets, T-shirts, and shell jackets with class 3 visibility ratings. Targeted at professional workers in construction, electrical, and industrial trades in Norway.
• Bekken & Strøm Rena winter jacket A new winter jacket concept launched under the Bekken & Strøm brand by Ahlsell, featuring modern design, stylish reflective details, and smart functions. Marketed as a versatile jacket offering good value for money for professional users.
• Bekken & Strøm Bergset series (softshell and rain jackets) Product line of softshell and rain jackets including HiVis class 2 softshell jacket (breathable, wind-protective) and HiVis class 3 rain jacket for wet weather work while maintaining visibility standards. Targeted at professional tradespeople in Norway.
• Bekken & Strøm Majavatn series (craftsmen pants and jackets) Craft pants and winter jackets in blue/marine color designed for craftspeople and professionals, with focus on comfort and durability. Targeted at professional tradespeople.
• Bekken & Strøm Drevsjø 4-V stretch craft pants Craft pants featuring 4-way stretch fabric for enhanced mobility and durability, designed for professional tradespeople.
• Bekken & Strøm Dokka series (HiVis winter overalls) Winter overalls with high-visibility class 3 certification in yellow/black color, designed for cold weather work conditions. Targeted at professionals working outdoors in cold Norwegian climates.
• Bekken & Strøm workwear accessories (knee pads, belts, socks) Workwear accessories including standard knee pads (orange, 270x160x20mm), elastic belts with metal buckle, and wool/mountain socks (sizes 42-44 and 43-45) in gray. Targeted at professional workers needing supportive and protective accessories.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AhlsellcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAhlsell is the parent company and exclusive distributor of the Bekken & Strøm private label brand. Bekken & Strøm is an own-brand label produced and sold exclusively through Ahlsell's distribution network in Norway. The brand has been in production since 1998.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Carhartt: Established US workwear brand with strong outerwear and trades-customer positioning — adjacent competitor in the durable workwear category, though focused primarily on the US market with growing European presence.
• Fristads Kansas Group: Nordic-rooted workwear group (Fristads, Kansas, Dunderdon) supplying professional work clothing across Europe — overlapping product range and trade customers at a larger, multi-brand scale.
• Dickies: Global workwear brand offering work pants, jackets, and HiVis — overlaps in workwear category and trades customer base but positioned more broadly across retail and international channels.
• CWS Workwear: European provider of workwear rental, laundering, and supply services — comparable end customers (industrial, facilities, trades) but with a rental/service business model rather than pure retail apparel sales.
• Engelbert Strauss: German workwear and PPE specialist with strong brand, broad catalogue, and large B2B/B2C footprint — overlaps significantly on product category and professional customer base but operates at much larger scale across multiple European markets.

Direct peers

• Mascot International: Danish workwear manufacturer offering a full assortment of functional work clothing, footwear, and HiVis — comparable mid-market professional workwear positioning and product breadth across multiple trades.
• Snickers Workwear: Swedish premium workwear brand specializing in trousers, jackets, and HiVis garments for tradespeople — directly comparable product categories, customer base (construction, industrial, electrical trades), and Nordic market positioning to Bekken & Strøm.
• Blåkläder: Swedish workwear manufacturer offering a broad assortment of functional work clothing, HiVis, and PPE — overlapping product range, professional trade customers, and Nordic distribution footprint with Bekken & Strøm.
• Würth Modyf: Private-label workwear brand of the Würth Group, distributed exclusively through Würth's B2B channels to trade customers — the closest comparable GTM model to Bekken & Strøm's exclusive-distribution-through-parent structure.
• Helly Hansen Workwear: Norwegian-founded workwear and outerwear division of Helly Hansen producing HiVis and professional work clothing — directly comparable Norwegian heritage, cold-weather garment focus, and trade customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ahlsellnorge
• Facebookfacebook.com/ahlsellnorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ahlsellnorge
• Instagraminstagram.com/ahlsellnorge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bekken & Strøm