that is written like an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . may 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message this article does not cite any sources . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . october 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message king oscar sardines and other canned seafood product type sardines tuna salmon herring mackerel cod and other fine canned seafood . country norway markets norway united states poland czech republic slovakia hungary romania russia belgium germany japan singapore australia south africa . website http www.kingoscar.com the king oscar brand was founded in 1902 when king oscar ii ruler of norway and sweden gave the chr . bjelland & co. one of norway s leading canning companies at the time special royal permission to use his name and likeness on a line of sardine products . king oscar ii ruled the united kingdoms of norway and sweden from 1872 until 1905 when he granted norway its independence . he remained king of sweden until his death in 1907 at the age of 78 . over the years the king oscar brand expanded into new markets introduced new product lines and was eventually acquired by several different parent companies as the sardine canning industry evolved in norway . today king oscar as is owned by thai union group one of the largest seafood producers in the world . products while sardines have always been king oscar s flagship product the company produces a variety of seafood products including brisling and baltic sardines herring mackerel salmon tuna cod and specialty items as well as fish salads and fish p t s. production headquartered in bergen norway king oscar maintains production facilities in svolv r norway and gniewino poland . the company still wood smokes its brisling sardines and packs all of its products by hand . citation needed markets king oscar maintains marketing offices in norway poland and the united states . the fish for its products are caught in the norwegian fjords the north sea and various waters around the world . the global brand is distributed in countries including norway the united states poland the czech republic slovakia hungary romania russia belgium germany canada japan singapore australia and south africa . history 1880 norwegian fish canneries begin exporting sardines . 1893 norwegian smoked sardines are introduced to the united states at the world exhibition in chicago . additionally other world markets are explored . 1902 king oscar ii of norway and sweden grants the chr . bjelland & co. special royal permission to use his name and portrait on a brand of norwegian sardines . 1903 the chr . bjelland & co. begins exporting the king oscar brand of sardines to the united states . 1920 the brand becomes well established in u.s. and british markets . citation needed 1950 various king oscar brisling sardine products are accorded kosher certification . 1965 king oscar is introduced to japan where it is now the 1 imported sardine brand . citation needed 1981 eleven norwegian canneries merge to form a single company norway foods which acquires the king oscar brand . 1996 norway foods is acquired by rieber & s n asa a norwegian based specialized food company . 1998 the king oscar brand is reintroduced to the norwegian market and is introduced to poland . 1999 the king oscar brand is introduced to the czech republic hungary and romania . 2001 the king oscar brand is introduced to slovakia . also king oscar is officially relaunched in russia where the brand was initially registered at the turn of the 20th century . 2002 the king oscar brand celebrates its centennial . 2008 while king oscar fish catches are still made in various waters throughout the world king oscar s central production efforts are moved to a facility in gniewino poland . additionally the company continues to maintain a production facility in svolv r norway . 2009 king oscar as becomes the new owner of the old brand . 2010 king oscar as purchased by procuritas capital investments . 2014 king oscar as purchased by thai union group . citation needed external links edit official site retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title king oscar sardines & oldid 707189671 categories norwegian brandsrieber & s ncanned meatcompanies established in 19021902 establishments in norwayhidden categories articles with a promotional tone from may 2015all articles with a promotional tonearticles lacking sources from october 2015all articles lacking sourcesall articles with unsourced statementsarticles with unsourced statements from october 2015 navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured 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