Condrup Ltd (Formerly Moeller & Condrup) by Ross Mellows The name "Con" can often be found stamped on stove burner caps or printed on instruction sheets of older Primus stoves. As the collecting of these stoves becomes more popular many collectors have asked about the significance of this mark. "Con" was a trade mark of Condrup Ltd, a company whose relationship with Primus is almost as old as the brand itself. With their access to the markets of the British Empire in the early decades of the Primus stoves history Condrup played a huge part in the rapid success of the brand and its acceptance as a household name around the world. This is their story. Søren Condrup was born 17th May 1867 in Porsgrunn, Norway. In 1890 the young Condrup was working in England as a traveller for a German wallpaper manufacturer. On a trip to Stuttgart, Condrup was introduced to a German, Robert Moeller. Like himself, Moeller was also based in England. Moeller suffered from ill-health and was looking for a partner to help him run his business, supplying German-made fine wood-ware. Condrup agreed to join Moeller and a partnership was established on 1st July 1890 & on 2nd January 1893 the company became "Moeller & Condrup" The company supplied high quality Fancy Goods and Woodware, and despite stiff competition from cheaper and inferior products the company prospered and gained a reputation for the quality of it's goods. In 1893 Condrup and his wife Wilhelmina visited Norway for a holiday - a trip that was to have a dramatic effect on the fortunes of the company. While visiting shops in Larvik and Skein, Mrs Condrup came across the newly invented "Primus" stove and on being told of it's advantages asked for a demonstration for her husband. One story has it that the stove was demonstrated by non other than B.A. Hjorth himself. Hjorths company marketed the Primus on behalf of the manufacturer Svenson and eventually took over the company, incorporating them into Bahco. Condrup was very impressed with this new invention and ordered a trial batch of 100 stoves. Despite the confidence of his younger partner Moeller was not so convinced that this new product was right for the company and it caused a rift between the two men. Moeller charged Condrup with sole responsibility to sell the consignment. Selling such a new invention as the Primus to an apathetic trade was going to be hard and despite his confidence in the product Condrup did not want it to be a source of friction between himself and his friend and partner. He therefore proposed to Moeller that they discontinue the venture. Moeller proposed a compromise of taking advice from an outside source. They invited Mr Morris from the well known crane builders Herbert Morris Ltd to give his opinion. Morris came out strongly in favour of the Primus as a product line for the company. The Primus was duly adopted and Moeller & Condrup became sole agents for the United Kingdom and the British colonies, a huge market at that time providing a massive boost to sales of the Primus around the world. The company went through a major re-organization as this first hardware line moved them from being a commission house, passing orders on to manufacturers to that of distributor and it became necessary for the company to hold stocks of stoves and spares in London. This change saw other hardware lines introduced, including Bahco tools from the same stable as the Primus. In 1896 Robert Moeller died leaving Condrup as the head of the company. One of his first acts was to introduce a profit sharing scheme for senior employers, a revolutionary concept for the period. In time this was extended to all staff. In 1901 the company changed to Limited status and in 1915 changed its name to Condrup Limited. Condrup supplied their own instructions for early models and maintenance kits. These can be distinguished by the company logo "M&C" up to 1915 and "Con" up until 1960. In the 1920's by mutual agreement with Bahco, Condrup Ltd confined their activities to Great Britain and Eire. Why is not clear, but with increasing worldwide competition and by now in complete ownership of the Primus brand perhaps Bahco were looking to maintain profit margins by removing a link in the supply chain. Condrup's son, Oscar, joined the company in 1934 and was appointed vice-chairman and joint managing director in 1938. Oscar was previously a chemical engineer with several patents to his name. The outbreak of war in 1939 made supply of stoves and spares very difficult, with at least one consignment lost to the Germans on route from Sweden. An article from a 1941 Amateur Engineering magazine details a project to modify a Primus burner by drilling and tapping holes to fit with small screws to facilitate cleaning & decoking of the burner due to the combined rarity & high cost of spare burners during the war. Condrup resorted to supplying their own UK made spares to help satisfy demand with the British Government, giving special priority to their British suppliers to get the scarce brass. The war brought other difficulties - on 29th December 1940 the company's premises in Fore Street were destroyed by German bombing. Fortunately, staff employed for night-time fire-watching duty escaped. The immediate post-war years presented many difficulties for businesses in the UK with trading restrictions and new tax laws to help combat inflation. Along with these challenges the company suffered the loss of Søren Condrup, who died in 1950 followed in 1954 by the death of his son Oscar. Condrup's involvement with Bahco continued throughout the 1950's. In 1953 they forged a trading relationship with another Swedish company, sewing machine manufacturer Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB. A wholly owned subsidiary company was formed called Viking Sewing Machines. In the same year Condrup relocated to new premises in Worship Street, London, having been at temporary premises in Islington following the loss of Fore Street. In 1960, after five years of relative static profits the Board of Directors took the view that things were unlikely to improve. 50% of the company's turnover was reliant on the trading relationship with Bahco and fearful of the consequences to the company of the loss of this arrangement, a takeover by Bahco was negotiated. After the takeover the company traded as Bahco Condrup Ltd or "The House of Bahco Condrup" and moved to Bahco House, Goswell Road, London. By 1970 the name was changed again to Bahco Tools Ltd. In September 2002 I was honoured to be invited to the annual reunion of Condrup employees in London. That they still get together every year is a testament to the camaraderie that existed in the company. How many of us working today will be attending staff reunions in forty years time! Gordon Condrup posted on the Discussion Forum after seeing reference to his grandfather on the site. Gordon worked for Condrup & Viking Sewing Machines. He brought along a wonderful miniature of an early Primus No:1 stove. Gordon's father, Oscar, had the stove gold plated and it was presented to Søren & Wilhelmina Condrup on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary by a young Gordon and his elder sister Elisabeth. It appears to be a working model but who would ever light it! The miniature No:1 on the left, shown next to an early, life-size Primus No:96, the smallest paraffin stove in the Primus range. Close-ups below. Acknowledgements Stephanie Fostvedt (Søren Condrup's great-granddaughter) Gordon Condrup and former Condrup employees - Les Ellis, Maurice & Tricia Cracknell, Tony Page and Derek Parsons. Peter Benscher - City Hardware The Condrup Saga - Condrup Ltd, Published 1948 Corporation of London - Guildhall Library
@Spiritburner. Ross, I just came across this after buying a Con trivet. I read it three times! It’s a fascinating well written account. Thank you.
Hi Ross, @Spiritburner, a tiny add-on detail regarding the 1915 name change from the Jan. 1915 'Journal of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in London'. Unfortunately split between bottom of one page and top of the next and from a very low resolution online archive:
Interestingly, happened to be in London's Science Museum yesterday, where I snapped the following image. Source of the No.5 Primus in 1912 is credited as "Moeller & Condrup Ltd, London EC" here's their lettterhead (for discussion/research, I understand this to be legitimate use = no copyright infringement)
