Svaartaron
| File:SvaartaronLogo.jpg | |
| Public Company | |
| Traded as | VSE: SVR |
| Industry | Heavy Industry, Automotive, Arms Industry, Electronics |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Founder | Margus Svaartaron Lukas Svaartaron |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Rikard Svaartaron (President) Suzanna Kaaldyr (CEO) |
Number of employees | 246,684 (all subsidiaries, within Allamunnika) |
| Divisions | Farrangur Auto Company Aurora Electronic Svaartaron Iron & Steel |
Svaartaron, formerly The Svaartaron Company, is a major North Ottonian company with diverse products and services across multiple industries, although the company's flagships are in heavy industry and defense. Like its rival, Vulksaron Heavy Industries, Svaartaron is a major defense contractor for the Ottonian Federal Government. The company is based in Dunnmaar, where it was also founded.
History
The Svaartaron Company's origins lay in the development of the industrial use of the Open hearth furnace by father and son Margus Svaartaron and Lukas in 1856 in the newly-formed Ottonian Federation. Prior to this development, they had operated using a license for Euron Bessmyr's process in Dunnmaar, but the innovation allowed them to produce higher-quality steel, better suited for construction and infrastructure work.
Margus & Lukas patented the open hearth furnace system in the Federation in 1857, and had implemented its use at all of their steel mills by 1858. The higher-grade product helped them land significant patronage from the Allamunnic Federal Government, just in time for the First Allamunnic Civil War in 1862. Despite their relatively late start in the Allamunnic Industrial Revolution, the superiority of their product enabled them to quickly grow to similar size and prosperity as their rival, the Vulksaron Company.
During the labor troubles following the Great Ottonian War and immediately prior to the Ottonian Revolution, then-owner and president Wendel Svaartaron struck a deal with striking workers aligned with the Ottonian Labor Front to partially transform the company into a worker's cooperative, arranging the buyback of 55% of the company's stock to be held in trust by company's employees with direct profit-sharing. During the Revolution, in an effort to maintain his role within the company, Wendel would sell another 30% of the company's stock which he had held personally back to the workers. Although the Svaartaron family was ultimately forced to sell all but 2% of the company's stock (opting to add that to the cooperatively-held stake rather than sell to the government of the Dunnmaar Autonomous Republic), the acts of goodwill and rapport with the OLF and other unions enabled the company to make it through the 1950's relatively free from the work stoppages that afflicted many other companies during the economic transition.
Modern Operations
Ownership and Management Structure
In the present, Svaartaron Auto Works is a division of Svaartaron as a whole, and as a result shares its ownership structure. Like Svaartaron as a whole, 1% of the ownership of the company is held by the Svaartaron family. In addition, 1% of the company is held by the Ottonian federal government, another 2% is held by the government of the Dunnmaar Autonomous Republic, and 1% each is held, respectively by the governments of the Free Community of Eona, the Allied Municipalities of the Bluwaalds, and the United Jormundsea Republics. The remaining 93% of the company's ownership is divided among the employees of Svaartaron, and are used as the basis for profit-sharing.
The company is run by a board of directors, who are elected by the employees of the company. Representation is allocated among the divisions of Svaartaron based on how many people are employed by that division. In addition, the Svaartaron family is allowed to have one (non-voting) member on the board of directors at all times.
Divisions
Today, Svaartaron is the single largest non-state-run employer within North Ottonia. Currently the company operates successful auto division, electronics and appliance manufacturing, defense and aerospace, and shipyard divisions. Major divisions within Svaartaron are as follows:
Svaartaron Iron & Steel
The successor to the parent Steel company that birthed Svaartaron, and which continues its production of steel, iron, and other alloys, as well as construction and manufacturing material.
Svaartaron Auto Works
Svaartaron operates a distinct automotive division which is one of the country's largest automakers. Its products include automobiles (including passenger vehicles and trucks), motorcycles, ATV's, and bicycles, including E-bikes. Svaartaron's automotive division also is a key member of the Ottonian Motor Cooperative.
Svaartaron Ferrocaril
This division operates Svaartaron's rail sector. The company manufactures both the hardware needed to build and maintain rail infrastructure, the raw materials for the infrastructure itself, as well as rolling stock.
Aurora Electronics
Founded by Aldryk Svaartaron in 1934. Aurora initially existed as a subsidiary before being integrated into Svaartaron in 1940. Aurora handles the research and development of both military and commercial electronic systems, including, notably, the fire control system on the M15/VII Olyfynt main battle tank.
Svaartaron Maritime
Operates the company's shipyards, filling orders for both commercial and military ships.
Svaartaron Arms
Operates the company's firearms and defense business.
Svaartaron Belisaria
Operates the company's businesses in non-Allamunnic Belisarian nations.
Svaartaron Ghant
A division which operates the company's business in the Empire of Ghant.