The years 1915 - 1940

The newly formed A/S Høyangfaldene aimed to master all stages of aluminum production, ie everything from bauxite mines and oxide production to metal production and further processing of products. 

For a long time, the worldwide aluminum cartel, which consisted of companies that had secured patents in the early beginnings of the industry, controlled the supply of markets, production, prices and raw materials. But when these patents expired, the scene was set for the all Norwegian venture.

While ambitions to secure bauxite deposits in France had to be abandoned, an oxide plant was set up in Høyanger. The metal from this was to be further processed in Norway, and at the turn of the year 1917/18, the subsidiary A/S Nordisk Aluminiumindustri was established in Stavanger to produce aluminum strips and cans for the canning industry.

At this time, the canning industry was one of the country's largest industries, and the goal was for aluminum packaging to replace tin cans. But it soon became apparent that the metal reacted chemically with the contents and the boxes started to bulge.

In 1919, aluminum was a relatively unknown metal with few areas of use. Naco therefore had a clear goal of expanding its use while at the same time trying to solve what was referred to as the "canned matter". The initiative helped make Nordisk one of the country's most advanced industrial communities, and the only aluminum producer that produced both intermediate and finished products.

In the foundry in Holmestrand, aluminum from Høyanger was cast to roll blocks.

In the rolling mill, the roller blocks were processed into semi-finished products in the form of plates for the transport industry, for kitchenware production and eventually also strips to the canning industry.

In Holmestrand, a wire drawing plant for electric cables was also installed and it focused on the production of finished product of crockery, milk buckets, large tanks for dairies, breweries, chemical factories and petroleum transport.

The brand Høyang was launched already in 1921. Kitchenware labeled Høyang was more or less the face of the company, and during the interwar period there was hardly a home in Norway that did not have a Høyang saucepan. The largest competitor was the company IL-O-Van Aluminiumvarefabrikk A S in Moss.

After the First World War, the economic situation in Norway was very difficult. Everything was costly and Naco was in dire need of capital. In 1923, the American company Alcoa came became one of the owners, and the A/S Høyangfaldene changed its name to Norsk Aluminium Company (Naco). The new owners secured the majority of the ownership and wanted to prioritize raw material production in Høyanger. Thus, the factory in Holmestrand received little interest for its desire to invest in canned materials. 

But when the Canadian company Alcan took over the shareholding in Alcoa in 1928, it marked a change in strategy. The companies split the market between them, and Naco gained a monopoly on the Scandinavian market. The new owners were also far more interested in further processing, which among other things facilitated a long-awaited breakthrough in canning research.

In Norway, there was still great skepticism about the anodized aluminum boxes, but they were a great success in the export market and were very well received in the US and England.

The breakthrough was a result of the canning and aluminum industry's push to market Norwegian aluminum canning abroad. This contributed to a strong increase in the production of strips for the canning industry and further investment in intermediate products. The new production process also laid the foundation for the production of plates for trams, trains, boats and aircraft, as well as large tanks for various purposes.